


Teacher's Petting

by iSherbika (sherbika)



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Angst, Awkwardness, Canon - Manga, Canon Related, Comedy, Crush at First Sight, Crushes, Dorks in Love, F/M, Feelings, Female Protagonist, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Height Differences, Holding Hands, I Don't Even Know, Inspiration, Jealousy, Kissing, Mild Language, Nervousness, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, School, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Indulgent, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Students, Tags Are Hard, Teaching, they finally kissed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-02-09 04:10:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12879894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherbika/pseuds/iSherbika
Summary: A lot can happen in an academic year, however saving the planet wasn't exactly in the curriculum.Korosensei/ReaderRating to be changed in future chapters(Currently on hiatus)





	1. Time For Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> Suggestive title is suggestive *waggle waggle*
> 
> Listen I read a hella good Koro fanfic (if you're out there, you know who you are) and it finally inspired me to dig this out and post it. Updates will take awhile because it's been so long and it'll go off the canon in places, but will still mainly follow the manga accordingly. 
> 
> So here's an introductory chapter, I guess.

Ah yes, the beginning of another school year. Well, it was essentially another term, given the nature of the academic structure within the country, but a new year nonetheless. The old students had filed out, making way for the new ones. It was difficult, really, being in charge of so many people already failed by the system, being the only thing standing between their unexpected success or expected failure. It came down to the teaching methods, or the overall atmosphere. So far, so good. Numerous failings as expected, but from the information provided quite a few had managed to enter the next level of education; and that in itself made the hard job just a little bit more worth it.

After debating whether to make an impression now or just rock up in the usual attire you opted for the former, deciding to give the new kids a ‘kick in the teeth’, if you will. There was a lack of age difference after all, and you needed to remind them who exactly was in charge. Plus, your rare bout of feeling attractive kicked in, and it wouldn’t hurt to embrace the ‘sexier side’ of your fashion collection. So here you were, rocking it up in a wonderful pleated jumpsuit with black, floral patterned platformed trainers to match. Hey, heels weren’t your thing, and it kept you comfortable knowing you were wearing something appropriate yet informal. Topped with a long black cardigan and your backpack, you headed out to the destination.

It was the same as always, somehow run down and barren, despite the months, if not years of effort you had put into refurbishing it. At least one of the classrooms had been made accessible enough; one of your ‘art projects’ from the previous year being to redecorate the walls and pick out new seating for the students. They had chipped in, of course, given it was their environment and could technically be ticked off as their cleaning time, which kept them and the administrative staff happy, even if they wanted them to not succeed. The boards and posters around the area would need replacing, and the wonky sink in the men’s toilets needed taking care of, but at least the main areas were usable. Okay, the staffroom had a missing window and a few personal belongings from your time spent camping out in there, and the outside areas were rather overrun, making PE a chore, not to mention affecting the mood during the hot seasons, but overall it was nice enough. 

So, arriving a few hours before the sun was even properly rising over the hillside, you had completed the trek up to the building and prepared for the day, ensuring everything was in order. The chalks were nicely lined up, the desk was prepared, the usual first day talks were prepped and accounted for, and the weather was lukewarm, giving an overall sense of calm and relaxation. Yes, it was going to be a pleasant session. Nerves kicked in, as per usual, but quickly dispersed once the day eventually began. You always got this way, fretting over the tiniest details until it hurt, only to be surprisingly calm and collected once they arrived.

Oh, if only you had known of the events ahead. You would have stayed at home; chosen the extra breakfast option; wasted a few extra minutes debating which outfit to actually wear; or merely played the innocent lost tourist once the events unfolded. Your Japanese did still sound fairly broken, despite your years being situated here, so it would have been easy. But alas, you didn’t, and you remained in place. For the one moment in your life, you did not back down. You just had to stand up for yourself, didn’t you?

It began at around 7:30am. The day did not officially begin until 8:30, but you didn’t mind in the slightest. It was the first day after all, and the students were bound to be a bit late given the walk to reach the place, not to mention a lot had probably given up all together. It pained you, how the system failed to provide for these children, how their entire lives were somehow determined by one incident. It was why you had taken up this position after all, to show them it wasn’t all doom and gloom at the end of the tunnel. You had lived through it yourself, after all. 

Naturally, the sound of voices took you by surprise. Given how much time remained until lessons officially began, you did not expect any of the students to be so eager. The surprise heightened upon recognising the voices were distinctively low, indicating they belonged to a group of adults rather than children. One in particular was the most striking, a strange gravely type of noise. It almost didn’t sound human. When the door opened, naturally those behind it were as taken aback as you. No one expected anyone to be present, given the nature of the environment. They were two men and a woman, all dressed in black, and the one leading the group addressed you first, stern tone matching his gaze.

“Say, what are you doing here, snooping around the classroom? And you’re not in uniform either.” He grunted, sharing a glance with his companions. “Wow, these kids take this class less seriously than I thought.

“Excuse me.” You snapped. “I’m the teacher.” Stifled laughter erupted from the other two operatives, which abruptly ended with your pointed look in their direction. The leader’s eyebrow rose, voice sceptical.

“You’re the teacher?” You nodded, huffing. “You’re [Last Name]?”

“Yep, that’s me! Although I’m glad you know that. Means you’ve checked in with the officials first and are meant to be here. Hey.” You raised your arms in defence at his quizzical look. “You could have been here for who knows what, and I don’t exactly feel like getting bumped off anytime soon.”

The other two shared a glance and a mumble whilst the other nodded, outstretching a hand. 

“[Last Name]-san, I am Karasuma, here on official orders from the MOD.” You shook his hand, your own eyebrows raising. 

“MOD?” He nodded, your hands parting after a few moments. “But… What on earth does the Ministry want with this run down class?”

“That… Would be thanks to them."

“Them?” Suddenly the atmosphere had become rather eerie. Anything the Ministry wanted to ‘relocate’, or whatever they were doing couldn’t be good. “Who is t--” It is quite extraordinary, really, how the mind does not process something whilst distracted by something else. For only then, when the query was almost asked, did you finally recognise the tall figure that had been situated behind the trio for the entire duration of the conversation. How you had missed them, you would never know, given their stature and distinctive skin tone, honestly, how had you missed the giant yellow figure? Heck, they did not even appear human, with protruding tentacles in the place of arms and legs. Their round head tilted downward, small inky irises shining, mouth formed into a teeth showing grin. They didn’t possess a nose, or ears. Who were they, Voldemort’s twin? And they weren’t wearing pants either. Weird. But speaking of inky irises, how long had they been glancing over at you like that? When your eyes met, their grin quirked upward even so slightly, the shine becoming more prominent. “I… Take it you mean them.” 

“Yes, I do. Their reason for being here will be announced when everyone arrives, but until then, we can tell you directly.” Your eyebrow rose on its own accord. “They are taking over as teacher.”

It was astounding, really, how that piece of information had your mind reeling whilst the inhuman individual had done very little to it. “What?!” You hissed out, making the two operatives involuntarily flinch. “But… But… You can’t! You can’t just take away my whole career in a matter of seconds. Come on, if you know my name then you’ve probably gone over my files.” Karasuma’s stern expression softened somewhat. “You can’t just leave me high and dry like this, I—Also why have they turned blue?”

True enough, the figure had gained a blue tint, sniffing as they rose their hand to wipe away a non-existent tear. “Your situation makes me sad.” They croaked out, making your heart perform a strange flutter on its own accord. “But she’s right, you can’t just take this away from her Karasuma. Let her stay. ~”

“Actually, she is.” Both of you faced Karasuma intently, his stern expression back in place. “You will be sharing the teaching duties. [Last Name]-san will cover more sessions as a supervising aid, but look after more of the other details.” He raised his hand before you could protest. “From what I’ve read, from what you’ve achieved… We are not going to remove you so easily. Besides, the Principal flat out refused.” 

You sighed with relief, failing to acknowledge the figure change back to their original shade of yellow. “I’m so glad, really. Thank you.” Karasuma nodded, looking rather relieved himself.

“Yes, and I will be taking over the Physical Education, if that’s alright--” He was cut off by your sudden relieved laughter, making everyone look rather perplexed. 

“Oh dear, I have no trouble with that at all.” Laughter seizing, you elaborated. “PE’s one of my worst areas. I can’t tell you how many times I got outrun by my own students.” 

Once that was cleared up, and the other two dispatched themselves, Karasuma allowed you to show the figure around, not that there was much to see, so long as they did not leave the premises. Your remark as to whether it was due to them ‘heading off to assist Godzilla in a rampage’ was met with a small smile and laughter from said figure, who remarked that said lizard was currently on holiday, thus unavailable for help. So here you were, gesturing around the barely furnished staffroom whilst attempting to hide your leftover belongings with a flush.

“So yeah, this is where I hang out. Eat some snacks, nosy about on the internet, do some other stuff. To be fair I’m only in here ‘cause of the working kettle.” You jabbed a finger towards it, their gaze following the action. “Other than that I’m always in the classroom. Or I come in here to bring out the rusty heater during the winter period. Makes the classroom smell like burning copper, but hey, it keeps them warm.” They hummed, flicking their vision back down to you.

“You’re not going to ask?” Your confused expression must have amused them, for the grin twitched yet again. “As to why I’m here?”

“Oh, no.” Waving their comment off with your hand you continued. “Besides, I’ll find out soon enough, when all the students get told. I’m kind of glad though, really. Takes the pressure off being a ridiculously young, female teacher if you’ve got someone else for company. ~”

They hummed again, sounding pleased. Probably due to the fact you had not commented on their gender or appearance being the reason for the attention being taken away. “So…” Clearly they had not engaged in conversation for quite sometime, or didn’t know exactly how to word their sentence. Either way, the small pink hue they had formed on the top of their cheeks was rather adorable. “How do you feel about the… Moon incident?”

“Moon incident?” They nodded, grin dissolving into a thin, straight line. Perhaps your confused approach to the query had put them off. “Ah, sorry, that’s not the question I was expecting.” Well, at least the eyes had regained some of their original gleam. “… Eh, what happened happened.” You shrugged, looking out of the window towards the sky. Sure enough, there it was, barely visible among the pale blue. “Whoever did it did it for a reason, like a statement almost. I mean, it hasn’t botched up the weather, which I thought it would. **Moon’s meant to control the tides and all that shit.** Got people talking though, spread the word and all that. The panic was ridiculous, I swear. But eh, I’ll just have to adapt to a 30% moon rather than a whole one.” 

Thankfully they looked content with your response, grin returning, albeit smaller than before. “Yes, I guess that is true. And the moon does help control the tides, but only a small proportion of it is needed to do that.”

“Huh, really?” It was then you realised, shaking your head in apology. “Ah jeez, sorry, I didn’t even realise I babbled over into English. The mother tongue raises its head every so often—Wait a minute, you speak English?”

“Hmm, I can understand it more than I speak it. I’ve done quite a bit of travelling.” Their look was one of smug pride at this point, eliciting a chuckle from you. 

“Ah dear, well I haven’t. Moved from the homeland over here and that’s about it really. School trip’s always set us back a fortune, so we never really bothered.”

They went to say something else, but the intrusion of Karasuma halted that. The lack of a clock in the room and actually being absorbed in conversation with another being had caused you to lose the track of time. It was already 8:30.

The students’ expressed their shock towards the figure more than you did, wide eyed and open mouthed glances aimed in their direction whilst they remained rather placid, grin in place. What did shock you, however, was the fact that they had caused the moon incident. It explained why they had questioned about it; clearly they wanted to know where their companion for the next school year stood on the situation, but the final announcement really had your head in a spin. If any of the students failed to eliminate the figure, then they would cause the same damage bestowed upon the moon to the Earth, thus wiping out everyone. If they did succeed however, then well, it was pretty clear that everyone would survive. But teenagers, transformed into assassins? It also explained why Karasuma was taking over as an assistant teacher, but you were still expected to teach them the basis in order to survive in the world, which was rather daunting in itself.

Once that was done things settled into a sort of calm, the information processed by the students whilst your own mind boggled. It was then that one, a seemingly timid appearing female with glasses and pigtails piped up. “But, what about [Last Name]-san? All I heard about before joining this class was I’d be in the hands of the lovely [Last Name]-san.”

Thankfully nobody seemed to notice the light blush coating your cheeks, save for the figure who began lightly chuckling, the eerie yet unique sound rather pleasing to your ears. 

“She will still be covering lessons, naturally, given the reputation she was formed during her duration here, but the primary focus will be on the assassination, so good luck.”

Karasuma glanced around the room, finally meeting your eyes out of the corner of his own. The distinctive shine in them reminded you that it wasn’t just the students at jeopardy here, or their education. You would be near the figure given your standing in the classroom, meaning you were at as much risk as they were. The next academic year would test you, in more ways than you could ever imagine.

“All of you.”


	2. Homeroom Attempt Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here's chapter two for you lovelies. Gender is touched upon briefly and there's some differences to canon timeline, but this chapter mainly follows the events of the manga, so sorry if it's not? Great? Anyway.
> 
> Words in bold = reader speaking English
> 
> No beta so all mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

Who knew how many days it had been since the infamous start to the academic year. All you knew was that the students had become very adapt to using various weapons in a matter of days, with the assistance of Karasuma, and all _you_ knew was, the amount of bullets whizzing through the air at random intervals was becoming rather a nuisance. Sure, they were designed to only harm the figure, as Karasuma had informed you after one came dangerously close to your temple, but they could still cause serious damage if not fired correctly. The students had remarkable firing aim, you would give them that, but the speed at which the figure moved was ridiculous. Mach 20, apparently, which was roughly 6805.8 miles a second… At least, that’s what Google told you. But still, to have a being of that speed moving around the room, with dozens of bullets following them was becoming a serious issue.

Speaking of the figure… The two had formed a sort of ‘bond’. Call it what you want, but the two of you seemed to get on better than you had with anyone for quite sometime. Sure, the two of you didn’t talk that often in regards to pasts or ‘major’ things, but you could easily discuss trivial things without worry and exchange foolish jokes. The majority of the conversations stemmed around the students and their progress, which was nice, but even you could only stomach so much on the topic before reverting to your introvert self and merely settling into a somewhat awkward silence. Still, they probably didn’t have that much experience socially either. Sure, they were great with the students, to the degree where you felt a jealous tinge and partly wanted to become one of them yourself, but with actual adults, well, that was a completely different topic.

Could they even be classed as male or female? By a gender? Did they want to be classed by one? This was one of the numerous topics that emerged during one of your first sessions with the students. They happened to be towards the back, observing the lesson given that was one of the agreements you had come to, and they became rather agitated when that query was raised. Their face became a pale shade of red, something you found most fascinating. It appeared that their face changed colour depending on their mood, making them a kaleidoscope of colours, to some degree. When the question was asked, everyone waited patiently for your answer. 

“Well,” You had chipped, at this point become tired of being the answerer when they were present. “What do you view yourself as?”

They clearly hadn’t expected you to personally inquire, the disappearance of the red being a clear indicator. Whilst the small pink they adopted instead made you pause, you tried not to think about it, especially as it only appeared after you made eye contact.

“Oh.” Once again their tone threw you off. “Well the concept no longer concerns me fully, but a male is the most lo--"

“Then there you have it.” You mused, briefly cutting them off with an arm half-heartedly waved in the air, making a note to mentally adjust to the correct pronouns. “He is a he, end of story.”

There were other indications that he was truly that gender, or that was the preferred one, even if he did not possess the usual male form. The mannerisms he possessed somewhat supported that, not to mention his ever growing collection of certain magazines… Not that you had ‘borrowed’ a few for your own collection, obviously not. You thought you had got any with it, but the sudden shadow zooming past the window followed by a familiar chuckle made you think otherwise.

But anyway, here you were, observing another one of his lessons whilst the students listened with intent. The man knew what he was doing, there was no doubt about that, and once again the jealous tinge surfaced, accompanied by an inferior feeling. His quality of teaching was so good, and the added bonus of speed and cloning himself only aided his remarkable teaching skills. Alas.

Nagisa, an easily spottable boy due to his hair colouring had had you on edge all afternoon. It had become a common practice of his to note his target's weak points, which he had shared with you one particular afternoon during a one to one study session, and one in particular was the moment just after lunch where he became rather sluggish. The fact that Nagisa had been ‘discussing’ something with three other students just before the lesson’s start had you suspecting a sinister plot might be underway. Glancing over, you found the octopus like figure merely lounging about, small hue on his face, eyes glazed over, prominent grin twitching… It was quite… Pleasing. Well, that is until he subtly winked in your direction, grin doubling as you quietly spluttered and turned your attention away. A few moments after this, Nagisa rose on his seat, seemingly finished with his work, but the minute glint in his eye and the tight clutching of his books towards his chest had your palms sweating and form paling. 

It all happened in a flash, literally. One minute, the figure was surprised and questioning if Nagisa had completed his work, which the student replied to in the positive; before the teenager shot forward with a knife, which the teacher easily deflected. But just as he began to brag, face becoming striped green in these situations did Nagisa leapt forward, exposing his books for all to see. The pained gasp that tore from your, and other occupant’s throats echoed all too loudly at the sight of the grenade. Sure, the pellets were not meant to harm humans, but they would still hurt. And you were in the blast radius. 

You don’t quite remember how you got out of the way. One minute, you were attempting to lunge under the nearest table, and the next you were at the back of the classroom, barely having time to blink as the explosion shook the room, your previously occupied chair almost completely eradicated. It was terrifying, really, to think if you had moved a moment too soon… The area at the front appeared deserted, the students having scuttled their desks backwards, and Nagisa couldn’t be seen. _Nagisa._ The lump in your throat doubled as you frantically stood up, scurrying towards the front.

“Na—Shiota!” Still did the formality of addressing by one’s surname confuse you. “Are you oka--” 

The sentence died in the back of your throat upon noting he was quite alright, appearing startled himself at the entire ordeal whilst covered in a… Was that skin? Whilst the trio he had been planning things with cheered and the rest of the class share hushed murmurs did the light haired teenager and yourself share a glance before your ears twitched as a familiar voice resounded through the air. Once that was done, and the room became silent did a number of you glance upward, panic striking your features. 

**Jet black.** To have the figure that colour only meant one thing: anger, and in its most severe form. Moving to form a blockade between the students and the man out of instinct, which was unnoticed save for Nagisa’s quiet protest and inky eyes widening a fraction, you prepared for whatever came next, only in the true nature of the man was it something you did not expect. He ventured out to who knows where, and during those few seconds you helped Nagisa back onto his feet, the peeled off skin rather uncomfortable under your grasp. When the figure returned, you feared you had blanched more than the trio upon watching him calmly drop all of the name plates from their homes onto the floor, remarking how many more attempts like ‘that’ would not bring them harm, given the contract he had agreed to, but may cause harm to their loved ones. 

Alas, when one of the trio protested in regards to it being a shoddy assassination did the figure beam, instantly turning to a particular shade of orange, accompanied by a familiar red circle which highlighted his praise over a situation. In fact, he applauded Nagisa’s ability to maintain such a calm persona, but he instantly became dark again when stating they had held no regard for his wellbeing. Thus, an agreement to use an attempt which made everyone happy; did not cost lives other than his own and embraced everyone’s ‘hidden talents’ was established. 

After calmly directing Nagisa back to his seat, given the boy could not hide the slight shaking he had gained since the incident from your eyes, you simply ventured to the staff room, given the day was almost over. It only took a few more minutes until you heard the students filing out, eagerly discussing the previous event with severe interest. Shaking your head, you reached for one of the sweets in the bowl you had brought out, only to find it missing. It didn’t take a genius to know who had taken them, thus you did not bother looking up from your magazine.

“Hey, share some of those, would you? It’s not like I paid for them or anything.”

No verbal response followed your remark, but the bowl being lightly pressed against your hand was enough indication that you had been heard. Scooping up a handful without taking a glance you mumbled a thank you before downing a number at once, the collection of flavours causing your face to scrunch up ever so slightly. Trust you to grab mainly sour ones. The tapping of your foot became the only sound for awhile, but you knew he was still there. He gave off a sort of… aura, so to speak, and there had not been any sudden gust of air, so he hadn’t sped off anywhere.

“Hey, next time you threaten the students, maybe try to tone down the whole ‘I will butcher your family in their beds’ vibe. It kind of sends out the wrong message.”

Deeming to break the silence with your half joking, half serious comment didn’t seem to have an impact, given the silence that followed. Peering over the magazine’s edge did you find him staring off into the distance, mouth set in a straight line, occasionally eating one of the sweets from the pile he had removed from the bowl. A similar expression marred your features before you frowned, setting the magazine down and rising from your seat, moving to stand in front of him. Standing by his side probably would have been a better choice, but you had had enough negative experiences from that kind of approach. 

He managed a blink when you appeared in front of him, inky irises meeting your own as you waved your hand in his line of vision. “Hey yo buddy, chillax. You’re still breathing, aren’t you? Nagisa’s still breathing, isn’t he? So what’s got your head in the metaphorical clouds?” He sighed, munching on another sweet. 

“No no, I’m fine. Just remembering what got me here, that’s all.” He looked slightly surprised when you nodded in response, a low hum accompanying the action.

“Ah, I know that feeling, don’t fret about it. I was just worried you were planning on how to devour family members, that’s all. But hey, if you’re not then you’re not, so woohoo, I guess…” Realising your conversational attempts had spiralled into bizarre, awkward territories once more you scratched the back of your neck, gaze flickering to the floor. “But I won’t pry, ‘cause it’s not any of my business. I’ll just go back…” You made a gesture with your hand. “ **Over there, I guess.** ”

He made no attempt to stop you physically, but the sudden engagement verbally made you pause in your tracks, his distinctive chuckle sounding before he spoke. “No, I do not devour people, since I am not some sort of ‘killer octopus from space’, as you described me during one of your classes.” His infamous grin had sprouted, and merely widened when you turned back, unable to mask your flushed expression. “And I’ve been given a name now, by Kayano-chan.”

The honorific usage had you momentarily raising your eyebrow before sheer interest took over. “Ooh, a name hey? ~” He nodded, chuckling once more as you scurried back over, hopping into the seat a few metres in front of his. “Go on then, tell me. It gets rather dull not knowing what to call my help.”

“Korosensei. ~” It was your turn to chuckle, finding the name quite witty, and rather fitting. “And what do you mean ‘help’? If anything, you help me.”

“Whoa, excuse me.” You scoffed, eyeing his vast grin with mock distaste. “I think you’ll find _I’ve_ been here longer, _I’ve_ got more experience, _I’ve_ got a decent track record, and _I’m_ not at risk of my students trying to take my head off… At least, not until my lessons get too boring.” You had jabbed his tie whilst delivering some of the pronouns, and his chuckling sounded throughout the enclosed space during your little ‘defensive speech’.

“Ah, [Last Name].” He shook his head, eyes twinkling. “How you amuse me so. But your lessons are just fine, not boring at all. ~ You possess a level of animation, it’s rather refreshing.” You scoffed, trying to ignore the tingles you received upon hearing his praise.

“Says the man who can tend to all of their issues at once, and keeps their interest through the sheer amount of **intellectual entertainment** he brings to the table.” You sighed, leading your head back to stare at the ceiling. “Honestly, I don’t know why the Principal gave me this position. Probably the one ounce of pity he had been saving up since birth decided to show itself.”

The lack of response for awhile made you regret ever opening your mouth, until it popped open partially on its own accord when something slightly damp yet warm and comfortable placed itself atop of your hand. Peering down, the surprise widened as it was his own ‘hand’ covering yours. His eyes had adopted a sort of caring shimmer, grin shifted into a small smile, and the light pink hue from before was present once more.

“Ah, [Last Name].” Had his voice become softer? It was alluring, more so than usual. Wait, what were those thoughts? You shook them away before he continued. “You were no doubt chosen for your charm, commitment and overall wonderful self.” The hue darkened, one of your own forming, and he coughed into his other hand before carrying on. “What I mean is, you’re doing a great job. ~ And I’ve seen your track record. You have done a terrific duty these last three years, yet I’ve only been here a short time and you’re acting like I’m better than you.” You scoffed, making his smile expand. “[Last Name], you even put Nagisa’s safety before your own. If that’s not a good teacher, then I don’t know what is.”

With that he hummed, rising from his seat, giving you pause. “Well, I must depart.” His usual tone had reappeared. “There’s a restaurant in Morocco with my name on it. I will see you tomorrow, hopefully before your homeroom and your lesson. There’s some lesson plans I need to discuss. ~”

He moved to depart, but paused when you frantically stood up, grasping his hand with your own. Heartbeat thumping in your ears and mind racing you opted to staring at the floor, hurriedly mumbling out your words.

“I, err, thanks… Really. Sometimes I get pretty caught up in my own thoughts. It’s not easy when someone comes along and kind of steals your only limelight. But thank you Koro, really. And [Name]’ll do just fine. I think we’re past the formalities. But yeah, thanks… Oh, and thanks for… Y’know, getting me out of the way earlier… And Nagisa.” Even you thought you sounded stupid, although it wasn’t often that you didn’t feel that way. The accompanying silence only made your heart rate double until he turned, eyes twinkling, the hue etched on his features. He made no attempt to remove your hand, nor his own. The entire scenario was starting to play out in a similar fashion to a clichéd romance. 

“You are very welcome… [Name].” Yes, definitely playing out like a clichéd romance. The prolonged eye contact that blossomed was not helping the situation, and neither was the silence that had settled over the two of you like a blanket. Your hands stayed firmly connected, his warm and pleasant. Was that your pulse you could feel, or his? Why did you not mind either way? Goodness, it had only been a short period of time and you were already a flurry of emotion. Just what was going on?

The moment was eventually broken by the door opening, the two of you parting as though you had been struck by lightning as Karasuma entered, him quirking a brow at your expressions. 

“Do I even want to know what is going on?” He questioned, eyes darkening on their own accord. You frantically shook your head whilst Korosensei spluttered, raising his tentacle arms in self-defence. 

“Oh no, Koro was just giving me details on his feelers, that’s all.” The knowing look Karasuma had adopted had you shaking on your own accord. “I-I just wanted to know if there was any difference between the one that he blew off earlier and the one that he didn’t!” Said moon destroyer was nodding rapidly in support of your story whilst Karasuma shook his, emitting a sigh.

“Alright, if that’s really the story. Now go on… Korosensei, was it?” The man nodded in response. “Right, off to whenever you were going. And [Last Name]-san.” Your back tensed. “Back to marking.”

“Yes Karasuma.” The two of you weakly replied in unison, Korosensei darting off to his destination whilst you sat back at your desk with a low grumble. 

So much for awkward moments. You feared you had a new one to top the list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was alright y'all. Next update will no doubt take awhile so don't hold your breath, as I am a) terrible with actually writing and b) my flu is back like nobody's business.
> 
> Anyway let me know what you think! I have the majority of the plot worked out, but I'm always open to suggestions.
> 
> If anyone else sees the tag below this ignore it. Ao3 keeps showing me chapter 1 notes too, and I don't know how to fix that, sorry!


	3. Time For A Mixture Of Emotions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I don't know how I feel about this chapter. Just saying. 
> 
> Idk. It was meant to be fun and light. It ain't so fun and light anymore. But enjoy nonetheless! Any mistakes are my own. Feedback is v appreciated. I shouldn't write whilst full of painkillers.
> 
> Words in bold during speech = reader speaking English.

Even with it being a new day did the awkwardness of yesterday evening’s plague your mind, eliciting an uncomfortable shudder as you attempted to bat them away. Things were strange between the two of you anyway, but now… There was a reason your social life lacked greatly. Alas, work had to continue so here you were, thirty minutes before homeroom, tapping your fingers against the desk whilst Karasuma sipped his coffee, glancing at you every so often. The man still clearly believed he had interrupted something personal yesterday, which he sort of had, but you tried not to dwell on it. A few moments later, and a familiar ‘whoosh’ sounded, before a familiar figure settled down in his seat with a relieved sigh.

“Have fun on your trip?” He jumped, good mood evaporating as he glanced over, shoulders drooping.

“Oh, [Name].” The surprise in his tone and Karasuma’s eyebrow quirking did not go unnoticed. “What are you doing here?”

“You said you wanted to see me before homeroom to discuss lesson plans, so here I am.” You shrugged, waving a hand in the air, earning a deeper than usual scowl from Karasuma upon accidentally knocking him in the face with said limb. “You’re not thinking of changing the curriculum drastically, are you?  
Unfortunately there are certain frameworks of the subjects that must be taught in certain orders, or else the upcoming examinations won’t be met with positive outcomes.”

“Oh, no no.” The usual cheery demeanour had returned. “I was just wondering if I could take over the Mathematics lessons--” 

“ ** _Yes._** ” Your sudden hiss gave both men pause. “Thank you oh merciful squid man from the sky.” Standing, you mock bowed. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to be free of those lessons.” 

Laughter resounded through the enclosed space, and the nattering between the two of you once more, Karasuma even chipping in at certain intervals. It was nice, to feel the awkward mood somewhat evaporating. Sure, it was still lingering, but it wasn’t the main priority right now. What happened, happened, and that was that.

Homeroom went by with a breeze, only really serving as an opportunity to gain gossip from the students, and from you in regards to the main building’s activity. You had to commute to it frequently due to meetings and discussing progress with the Chairman, therefore you often took the time to take a ‘longer’ route to his office, analysing the environment and any significant changes as you went. So far, there was a scheduled assembly being held today, one which Class E had not been invited to. Naturally the class was outraged, but even more so when you spoke up, although for an entirely different reason.

“Relax guys, I’ll just sneak in and offer feedback during afternoon homeroom. I’ve done it before, I can do it again. Chairman never gets that pissy anyway. ~”

It was Okuda who spoke up, voice as low and nervous as usual. “But, [Last Name]-san, won’t you get into trouble? Is that safe? Won’t the other faculty members cause problems?”

“Nah, they shouldn’t be too much trouble.” You shrugged, dismissing everyone’s concerned looks with a wave of your hand. “They can throw insults all they please, and yeah they used to sting, but I’ve got used to them over the years. I have a wonderful track record and my previous students came out great, so why should I worry? Why should I care? ~” Your voice adopted a singsong quality towards the end, and you were thankful a handful of the class seemed to recognise the reference. 

Homeroom went on as normal after that, until the students filed out for their first double period, PE with Karasuma. Given you didn’t have anything else to do, your marking having been completed the previous evening, you ventured out with them, curious as to how exactly the MOD member executed his lessons.

You weren’t sure what was more engaging as you sat on the flimsy, rotting away wooden steps allowing entry to the building: Karasuma’s no nonsense, firm approach towards the students and his surprisingly elegant teaching techniques, or Korosensei nestled beside you, sipping a drink with a smug expression on his face. The vertically moving stripes became quite a nuisance after awhile.

“Hey Koro,” He looked over, smug colouring still in place. “I appreciate how **cocky** you no doubt feel right now, but your barber pole getup is giving me a headache.” The stripes seemed to fade instantly, making you blink in surprise. They were replaced with a blue tinge, which suited his crestfallen appearance by that point.

“Apologies.” You blinked again, noting how low his tone sounded. “I did not mean for my smugness to cause you distress.”

“Oh dear, don’t apologise.” It was his turn to blink. “I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. If anything, I’m kind of worried how lightly you’re taking the entire situation.” You gestured towards the class for emphasis. “I mean come on, one of these kids might be the one to kill you someday, and just ‘cause they’re a little shoddy now doesn’t mean they’ll be experts later. Or have you already forgotten Nagisa’s display?”

The blue morphed into a light pink as he looked down, crestfallen expression increasing in magnitude. “No, I haven’t. And you’re right. It’s just difficult to accept that now. Besides, I can’t have them thinking I’m worried, now can I? That gives the game away.”

“Oh Koro. ~” He looked up, more due to you placing a hand over his than your soothing tone. “I’m not saying you can’t be confident in your abilities. It’s just saying show a little more decency. Sure, your cockiness will make the students more riled, thus make more attempts, but it could also stop a few potentials from even making any attempts. So just… Try to find a balance I guess.”

He went to reply, after a few moments of silence, but a few outcries from the somewhat forgotten students had both of you changing colour. 

“Koro and [Last Name], sitting in a tree. ~”

Their childish voices and laughter only intensified when your shoe came hurdling through the group, missing everyone by a few feet. Even Karasuma managed a smile and eye twinkle at your dishevelled form. 

“You know, [Last Name]-san, it wouldn’t hurt you to join in some training sessions as well.” Laughter merely doubled at the disbelieving expression you sent Karasuma’s way. “You never know when it’ll come in handy.”

“I’ll pass thanks.” You huffed, marching past the group and beginning the descent down the hillside. “I have an assembly to raid after all.”

If there was one thing that you rarely did, it was get angry. Frustrated, sure, but even that was a rarity. So here you were, trying to break into the room where the assembly was being held without gaining too much attention with shaking palms. Why had a childish comment gained such a negative response out of you? It didn’t make any sense. What was happening to you?

It seemed that the Chairman had gotten wise to your assembly attending, given the doors were sealed shut and the closest window was a good few feet out of your reach, despite the numerous leaps you made to reach its ledge. Your balance being slightly off due to the lack of a piece of footwear probably didn't help the situation. You could have, should have grabbed it before you descended, but no. Damn you and your stupid frustrating pride. 

“ **C’mon, you dumb thing!** ” You grumbled with a huff, perching on your tiptoes ready to begin another valiant attempt at success when you felt it. An aura, one unmistakable to anyone familiar with this school, one so powerful that it caused even the strongest of beings to quiver appeared a few metres behind you. Naturally, you immediately emitted a panicked squeak, the action causing you to lose your balance and fall ungraciously to the floor in a heap, ankle no doubt twisted given the pain beginning to seep through it. 

There was nothing but the company of your heartbeat thumping in your ears for what seemed an eternity until an all too familiar low chuckle sounded, eliciting another shiver down your spine. 

“Ah, [Name].” You could feel the smug lilt in his tone, arms no doubt smartly crossed together, tone as balanced yet filled with condescension as always. “Surely you did not think I would not make changes to the gymnasium’s structure after all these years of finding out information was being incorrectly given to a certain classroom?” He took a few steps towards your form, yet you did not turn your head, nor allow your lungs to catch a breath. “That there were numerous reports of a certain individual being sighted in the vicinity when they did not have permission? Hmm?”

Any attempt at eliciting a response died in your dried throat, and you inwardly cursed yourself for suddenly feeling like every other person who has had the privilege of crossing paths with the man behind you. _Come on [Name]! You've dealt this man dozens of times before! You've kept your nerve under his scrutiny far longer than half the staff here, and you're the **Class E** Teacher! You get it worse than any of them!_ The sound of his foot lightly tapping against the gravel did nothing but fuel you further. _C’mon, show him what you're made of!_

“Principal Asano,” You quipped back after a few moments, mouth moistened enough to formulate a proper sentence. Taking the time to slowly rise to your feet, you continued on, noting the slight wobble in your posture caused by more than just a missing shoe. Definitely twisted. “I would perhaps not have to go through such actions if the so called head of this institute provided all of the teaching staff the appropriate, important news regarding the school.”

Nodding slightly to yourself at your words, you steeled your already uneasy nerves and turned to face him, eyebrow raising a fraction on its own accord upon noticing his arms were, in fact, crossed together over his chest. Figures. Everything else about the Principal remained the same: immaculate suit probably more expensive than your entire life’s savings combined, calculating eyes boring into yours with enough intensity to make anyone buckle instantly, trimmed eyebrow quirked an inch upward and mouth curled into the smallest, smallest of smiles… Or maybe it was a smirk. You could never fully tell. Either way, it twitched upward after a moment. 

“Yes well [Name]-san,” Ah, back to the formal honorific. He was using the authority tactic. Interesting. “But given current circumstances regarding your classroom, specifically the new additions of teaching staff, I assumed you had more pressing matters to attend you.” His eyes darkened with mock mirth, making you take a small step back. You knew full well he had spotted the action. “But I guess you do have more free time, now that they are predominantly with the students.”

... Oh. _**Oh.**_

Fingers curling into a fist, nails raking lightly across your palms you could feel the unexpected anger from earlier in the day, yet the embarrassment that came with it seemed like a distant memory. You had an, interesting relationship with the Principal, given you had managed to secure your job when others hadn't, Karasuma’s words during first introductions coming to mind, but he knew how to push your buttons. He knew how much that class meant to you, and it was no doubt obvious how much the arrival of new faculty was affecting you, especially to a man as observant as he.

Were you bothered by their arrival? Of course you were. Teaching was your livelihood, and providing a sense of some security for those kids futures was the greatest reward you could ever receive, so to have it all suddenly thrown away from you in the favour of a cash prize and other teachers stealing their affections. Better teachers, mind you, for whilst Korosensei’s reassuring words yesterday had eased your worries a little, it did not remove them completely, and seeing the students outside with Karasuma earlier, smiling away… 

“Okay, cut the crap Asano.” The words fell from your lips like thick tar, the bitterness burning your tongue and swallowing you in negativity. “We both know how this situation affects our lives. We both know why I'm here, and we both know I can just break into the computer suite later and find the information, before I will be interrupted by you and cause further damage for both of us.” You took a few steps forward, crossing your own arms as you did so. “So let's cut past the mockery and get to it. What do you want?”

“To give you this.” The Chairman spoke as calm and level toned as always, yet his expression had changed by a minute amount. Eyes lighter, lip pressed into a more comfortable position. Understanding. If you had been paying attention, you might have noticed, but you were instead distracted by the piece of paper suddenly held up in your line of vision. “It is the handout that the students are currently being presented with.”

Silence settled between the two of you once more before you tentatively took a few steps toward, and surprisingly the Principal did the same, although that was no doubt due to how gingerly you approached him. Your ankle had swelled a tad, causing a jolt of discomfort with movement, and Asano preferred things to be done at his pace. Once you were a few steps away from one another did you reach out, taking the paper from him with delicate fingers whilst your other hand unclenched. 

Taking a moment to spare the man another glance, you quickly skimmed over the document, confusion taking hold of you further when it was, in fact, the handout students usually received during assemblies. Upcoming term dates, notices, extracurricular activities and the usual unsavoury jab towards the Class E, both of which you could scribble off later… It was all there. Eyebrow rising again on its own accord, you cast another glance at Asano, the distrust evident. 

“So, why exactly are you willingly handing over a document that's supposedly only good enough for real students?” 

The Principal spared you another look before making a small humming sound and beginning to turn away from you, adjusting his tie momentarily as he did so. “I am the Principal, [Name]. Since when do my actions require explanation?” He smiled widely then, a smile you were all too familiar with whilst his eyes closed to accompany it. “But I believe we both have duties to attend to, hmm? I shall bid you farewell, and I shall see you soon, [Name].” 

With that final statement he turned fully and walked away, the schoolbell chiming in the distance and the thunderous sound of numerous footsteps leaving the gymnasium being your only companions as you were left in a state of shock and confusion. 

-

“Hey I'm bac-- what the **fuck** are you doing?”

“Ah ah, language [Name]-san.” Korosensei remarked, eyes glazed over and large grin prominent as usual as you gaped at the sight before you. “That is not an appropriate way for a lady to speak, especially a teacher in front of her students. ~”

“Well, yeah, but what are you doing to Sugino?!”

“Oh,” It was then he looked down, noting said teenager currenly encased in his numerous tentacles whilst Nagisa and yourself looked on in shock. “I am assessing his physical strength! He had doubts about his pitching throw, and my tentacles can read body information, so I thought I would assist!” How on earth the man could sound so pleased during this situation was baffling to you. You huffed in response, a hand coming to rest on your hip. 

“Yes well, please put him down. Gently. Afternoon homeroom starts soon and I don't want him scarred for life, y'know?” With that you headed towards the steps to the building, ignoring the pain stretching through your form and failing to register the looks and sounds of concern towards you from the three present. 

The trek back up to the area had taken you longer than expected, as your ankle was twisted more severely than you originally expected, along with the various obstacles you encountered along the way. Your jacket was slightly torn in the bottom, your elbow was probably bruised after colliding against a tree for balance a little too roughly, and you were thoroughly exhausted from the steady spring heat and the wave of emotions you had experienced today. You just wanted to copy this flimsy sheet of paper, and hand it out before leaving the students to your own devices and head home early for the day. You were certain Korosensei would love more time with the students, you thought bitterly despite yourself, and you wanted nothing more than to relax in warm bath water and forget everything. 

It wasn't until you reached the staffroom after agonising steps did you realise there wasn't a way for you to copy the document digitally, grumbling at your own forgetfulness before slumping ungraciously into the closest chair. You tilted your head back, a light sigh escaping you as you summoned the strength to place your shoeless foot upon the neighbouring chair, blanching at the sight of your sock visibly stained beyond recognition, its original cream colour a distant memory. You hoped, wished, even prayed that the moment would last for longer, the silence of the staffroom being your only companion. The window was shut, meaning the room had reached a warm, relaxing temperature, as if the very air was a blanket wrapped around you. It was so quiet, so peaceful, you mused with a hum, eyelids drooping. It wouldn't hurt, would it? Only a few minutes, and you were so worn out… So tired… Your eyes had closed fully now. Just a few minutes…

The bell sounded outside the door, your eyes snapping open instantly as you heard the rumble of the class beginning to return to their seats. Placing your foot back onto the wooden floor with a wince you sighed, fingers subconsciously curling further around the paper in your grasp. It would seem your resting period would have to wait. 

Your shoe was waiting for you as you entered the classroom, delicately perched upon the desk whilst a few students sniggered and shared looks. Any energy you had to attempt a reaction, indifferent, witty or something else was long gone by this point, so you opted to simply ignore it, reaching for the first piece of chalk your fingers could grasp at. You could feel the eyes boring into the back of your head as you began writing on the blackboard, pausing once in awhile to double check the sheet in your other hand, and you could hear the numerous whispers beginning to circulate, but you paid them no heed. The quicker this was done, the quicker you could leave and soak in peace while questioning your very purpose. To think, a few days ago you felt on top of the world… Now you felt as though you were seconds away from falling through the floor.

A few minutes passed before you finished, returning the chalk to its original position and moving towards the desk ensuring the students could see your work, but it was not until you fully turned to face the class that you realised their gaze was focused on you instead. Even Korosensei, who you had completely forgotten was observing in your current mental state was looking your way. You could feel the heat rising to your cheeks.

“Hey, I said I'd get you guys info and relay it back in afternoon homeroom.” You huffed, casting a glance out of the window and shaking an arm in their direction. “So here it is! It ain't great, I know, but it's there. Naturally I left the extracurricular stuff off,” A frown crossed your features. “But it's all there!” Your vision flicked back over to the class, finding them looking between yourself and the blackboard. Korosensei was still looking directly at you, however, giving you pause. There was something about his expression that you couldn't quite place, making a pit of unease form in your stomach. “So make a note of what you find important and we'll go from there. And remember this is homeroom, so if you need to complete any other work or ask me anything, feel free."

The sounds of pens and pencils scribbling across paper was your only response, the students taking down the information provided for them whilst you somewhat fell into your seat behind the desk with a sigh, rummaging through its drawer and digging out a book you kept in there, flipping onto a random page in an attempt to keep your mind occupied until the session was over. You wanted nothing more than to rest, but you needed to keep your mind active long enough so that you could a) not fall asleep during homeroom and endure whatever the class would do if you did and b) not collapse from exhaustion on the way home. You didn't live that far away, but you knew it would feel like miles given your current predicament.

Homeroom preceeded seemingly uneventful after that, the students working amongst themselves whilst you continued to flick through pages, casting a glance their way every so often. One student enquired as to where you got the information from, and you told them it was thanks to a student dropping their sheet upon leaving the assembly. It wasn't a lie, per se, as a number of students from the main building did tend to discard their sheets the minute they left the gymnasium, as though the very paper was beneath them, but it was still a more believable story than ‘I tried to sneak a look in but the Principal caught me off guard and actually handed it over’. They did not question further, and the relaxed atmosphere returned, at least until around roughly the halfway point of the homeroom.

“Ano, Korosensei.” Their tone was low, almost as if trying not to gain your attention, but years of training yourself to hear everything that occurred in the deralict building meant you did anyway. Lifting the book a fraction, you peeked over its edge to not draw their attention in return, and you felt your stomach pitter patter into your feet as the owner of the voice leant over towards the octopus, a number of students also towards the back following suit. “Could you perhaps help with question six? We don't really get it.”

Wait a minute, question six? It was then that you saw the sheet they were referring to, and your heart joined your stomach. That was your worksheet. From your lesson. Not only did they not understand it, but they weren't even asking you for the help. No, they were asking him instead. Him, always him. Like you were suddenly unapproachable. Or, maybe you always were? The unease intensified, nervousness joining it. It was like you weren't even there. Like you didn't even matter. 

Your eyes began to burn, and you knew you had to look away before they overflowed, erupting into an uncontrollable frenzy that would only isolate you from the students further, you wanted to look away, but you couldn't. You couldn't hear anything anymore, all external noise suddenly a fine distant murmur, but you assumed Korosensei had agreed to the request, given there were currently a number of him moving at a reasonable speed to assist. They all seemed to blur together after awhile, until one happened to catch your sight of vision. 

Everything seemed to come to a standstill as your eyes locked with his. Clone or original, it did not matter, for you knew all of them adopted a similar pose when affected. Inky eyes widened significantly, while a familiar blue hue coated his entire face. It was then you realised just how tight your grip on the book had become, knuckles probably white on the other side. It was also then you noted it was upside down. The heat on your face only grew as the eye contact continued, and it was then you felt the familiar trickle of dampness along your cheek. _No. No no **no.**_ His entire being seemed to radiate blue after that, a crestfallen expression marring his features. You could feel your heart twinge at the sight of it, at the feeling of another tear descending your face in a similar fashion to the first. Breath caught in your throat, you did the only thing you could do at that moment… 

Which was to flip the book over into its correct position and quickly flick your gaze into it, breaking the eye contact and pushed it closer your face, the words upon a white background obstructing your vision. You could feel the internal coil begin to unwind, feel your fingers quaking and your body beginning to protest fully. You couldn't give in. You wouldn't! You were [Name], the fun, kooky teacher who could be as nonsense and no nonsense as she pleased. [Name], the teacher who ensured her students always, always came first. You were not some crybaby who rolled over and gave in at the tiniest hurdle, not anymore. And yet--

A heavy sigh left you risked a quick glance at the clock, noting there was still 15 minutes left of homeroom, of the academic day. You were beyond worn out, your ankle screaming in protest at this point and your mind in tatters. You just wanted to go home and throw every bath soother concoction into the water before you passed out from their fumes.

You just wanted to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (If there are still notes below this box please ignore)
> 
> Koro's smug expression stripes can move in my canon. Sue me. 
> 
> Sorry if this is too long winded or tense confusing or repetitive. But that's what criticism is for, heh. Figures my longest chapter to date is this, well this. Chapter 4 is currently being written. I have most of it planned out, just need to revise it.
> 
> So in this chapter we saw more of how reader is feeling overall! You can't really blame her though, imagine competing with Koro for teacher of the year. We also got to see how her and Chairman Asano interact. There's, a mutual respect there, but that's all I'm getting onto rn. Also I know he's Chairman, but he's also basically a/the Principal, so I use both. Let me know if I should just stick to one. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Any and all feedback is appreciated. Don't be shy~


	4. Healing Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you're ill and you've spent half the night writing this hot mess of a chapter. And it's a long one, so have fun. 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Bolded words during speech = reader speaking English
> 
> Enjoy!

Sunlight peeking in through the broken blind inhabiting the window was the only indication of the time, dawn officially breaking upon a new day. It began to fill the darkened room with light, light which fell most heavily upon a bundle of blankets upon a weak structured bed. Said bundle of blankets containing your sleeping form, of course. 

You grumbled in protest, pulling your cocoon of warmth higher up your chin in a vain attempt to shield yourself from the world and the day that awaited you. You internally felt like a child faking a stomach ache, whining to their parent in protest. _But I'm sick! I don't wanna go to school!_ Still, as the room surrounding you became brighter did the light blaring upon your eyelids, forcing a groan to leave your now awake form.

Thoughts of your previous few days flickered through you momentarily, eliciting yet another grumble. Thankfully it had been a Friday when your little ‘episode’, as you had affectionately dubbed it occurred. You didn't remember all of the details exactly, such as how you managed to leave the classroom when the bell rang quickly and calmly and make it all the way home without further injury to your pride or physical being. A pang of guilt still filtered through you as you remembered you never did properly say goodbye to the students. The weekend was spent the same way it always was, save for more hobbling around than walking and a trip to the pharmacy. It turned out that your ankle was swollen worse than you expected, although thankfully it seemed to be on the mend.

Monday came and went with you doing very little around your home also, as you had noted the week previously on the schedule hurriedly pinned to the wall that you did not have to be in, given the day consisted of PE and lessons you no longer taught. You were going to go in regardless, to catch up on paperwork and mingle with the students and faculty. Plus, the Old Campus was basically a second home to you, and even was at one point--

You shook those thoughts away with another grumble, finally managing to untangle your limbs and summon the courage to leave your warm sanctuary in exchange for the embrace of the outside world. You had remained home on Monday to look after your ankle, of course, it had nothing to do with the other thoughts you had been pondering over, the very thoughts that threw you into a tailspin that faithful afternoon. 

Korosensei was an effective teacher. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, he could be in multiple places and had a knack with the students, but that did not make you inadequate. You were a great teacher, the Old Campus was still your building, your fortress, and you were still the head honcho (you had even checked the agreement document on Karasuma’s laptop one afternoon when he was outside teaching to make sure), and you were damn _good_ at your job! The students _asked_ for you especially! They had heard about you before and were _excited_ for you to teach them! The students thought you were a _wonderful_ teacher! You _**were**_ a wonderful teacher! Korosensei had basically said so himself that day, your cheeks flushing on their own accord at the memory, and he wasn't lying to make you feel better, he wasn't the type, and even if he was the type, you could sense that he wouldn't lie about that kind of thing. Not to you. 

But… _Why_ did you think that? Why did the thought of him make you wa-- _**No!**_ He is a teacher. Your fellow faculty member. You had been burned by that brush before. Besides, he was a deadly being, an _assassination_ target at that. There was no point being attached to someone who might not even be around the next day. So you had to push the thoughts to the side, you had to. This puppy crush would leave on its own accord... Wouldn't it? 

Roughly half an hour after the first ray of sunlight peered in through your window had the room become basked in it, its warm glow accompanying your own smile. You were finally dressed and prepped for the day, slipping a camisole onto your shoulders, bag clasped firmly in hand before taking another look around the room, confidence filling your being with every small action. Sure, you still had your doubts, and your ankle still ached like nobody's business, but you were [Last Name], teacher extraordinaire! You had dealt with worse threats than a teacher stealing your limelight. Much worse. 

\--

All of the students were already situated in the classroom when you arrived, surprise evident upon some of their faces as you opened the door. Korosensei was already present, writing upon the blackboard and adopting a similar expression upon his face. You could feel yourself shrinking under their gazes. You were only gone for three days, it's not like you died or anything. You brushed the looks off as you closed the door and approached the desk, somehow squeezing past the tall figure as he made space for you. His expression, however, had given you pause, for it seemed to be a mixture of shock and, relief? And to still be accompanied by that familiar pink tint under his eyes--

“Good morning~” You chirped, lips quirking up at the corner slightly as you placed your bag upon the desk, taking great care in removing the items you had stashed in there. You could practically feel the stare of your fellow teacher as you removed the pastry you had purchased on your way to the mountainside trek and delicately placed it upon the wooden surface. “Usually I would enquire if you've had a productive weekend, but given my underling staff member is still present, I'm going to assume they weren't.”

Any tension that rested between you and the thirty plus occupants of Class E faded into thin air as you finished your sentence, a chorus of voices sounding out to greet your eardrums, a variety of annoyed protests, gleeful laughter and the spluttering of said ‘underling’ who seemed to be denying being anything of the sort. It was nice. It felt nice. But you knew the moment couldn't last forever, and you chuckled along with a shake of your head, looking towards the class as silence fell once more. 

“Now, this is me being me-- Yeah I know Tersaka, I'd roll my eyes and scoff too,” Said boy’s eyes widened a fraction, causing his friends to chuckle at his expense. “But I just want to say I'm sorry for not saying goodbye last week and any bad vibes I gave off.” The room suddenly became so silent you could hear a pin drop, and you also became aware of inky irises staring fully at you again. “I was, look, I'll be honest, Chairman changed the gym. Made the windows higher up, and I ain't exactly the tallest person as it is. So I feel like a 5 year old stood next to giant boy over there.” You jabbed a thumb in Korosensei’s direction, eliciting more chuckles and a scoff of mock offense. “And basically I messed up and my ankle got the blunt of it. So I wasn't impressed. And then I have to come all the way back and that **sh--** stuff ain't easy.”

Scratching the back of your head, a small sheepish smile coated your lips as you cast your glance over every student present, receiving a look back. It was there in their eyes, clear as day. _Attentive. Concerned. **Admiration.**_ Oh yeah. You definitely had this teaching stuff in the bag. 

“Plus,” You spoke again after a few moments of quiet reflection, shrugging as you did so. “I guess I wanted some normalcy, for you guys and myself. I always used to do it for my other classes, sneak into assemblies, ‘borrow’ library books with their not quite expired cards, filter out whatever info I could. And I know it's only been a few weeks, but you guys are my best behaved class, you really are.” The entire class beamed at this, your own smile following suit. It was true. Out of all the classes you had taught in the past, this group were definitely among the best. “So I wanted to give you back something, well, normal. You're all so busy firing guns and stuff, I just wanted a little, I dunno, not that.”

Leaving your words to hang in the air for a few moments to allow the students to fully digest them did you realise you had eaten into a few minutes of the first lesson of the day. You turned to where Korosensei was stood, wearing a sheepish frown and ready to apologise only to blink in surprise upon realising he was closer, _much_ closer. You had to crane your neck a little more to fully register his face, taking another blink of surprise at seeing that his usual grin was smaller than usual, eyes shining with a warmth that had your stomach fluttering on its own accord, heightened further by the pink tinge under them. It seemed as though he could not look at you without adopting such a feature--

“... And you had your doubts.” The words were barely a mumur, no doubt only intended for your ears, but you heard them regardless, feeling a tinge of your own begin to blossom upon your cheeks. He must have noticed, for his grin returned to its full size, eyes twinkling with an all too familiar mirth. An arm slowly circling around your shoulder gave you pause before it turned your body around to face the class once more in one quick motion. 

“Thank you again, [Name]-san,” His voice was back to its usual self also, just loud enough to carry with a peculiar tone to it. “We are all thankful for your input, but you have begun to eat into my lesson time, and unfortunately that won't do for any of us. So we shall see--” Your belongings were placed on the corner of the desk before your bag was put into your grasp once more-- Hey wait a minute, where did your pastry go?! “-- You soon!” 

In a motion just as fast as the last were you pushed out of the classroom and left alone in the corridor with barely any time to process what exactly had just happened. 

\--

The rest of the morning seemed to proceed as a blur after that, Karasuma appearing halfway through the second period to join you in the staffroom the only real source of entertainment you had from organising the mess the octopus had created. Honestly, the man blew your papers and other knick knacks everywhere when he departed to who knows where. You really needed to by an industry sized paperweight. Karasuma seemed as taken aback as the rest of the building did upon seeing you at first, although he covered it up much quicker, and proceeded to offer a polite greeting as though nothing had ever occurred. 

The two of you spoke for a short period, Karasuma reprimanding you at one point for using his laptop. The words he used seemed innocent enough, but the pointed glare that followed them was enough to leave you quaking in your seat. So much for subtly. He also commented on how the students inquired about your wellbeing during yesterday's sessions, leaving a pang of guilt to strike at you once more. You were starting to think that the kids would be your cause of death, and not that of the speedy fake space being that they were supposed to take down. 

It wasn't until the afternoon that the day began to take a turn. Another PE session was taking place, the students already changed and engaging in basic hand to hand combat as Karasuma presented moves for them to copy. You were situated on the steps once more, tugging at the hem of your camisole every so often in an attempt to sit upon it comfortably whilst your step companion from last time was currently situated in the sandbox, said sandbox having the only purpose of creating lopsided sandcastles when you became bored during summer days. Korosensei had already created structures far beyond your capability in a matter of minutes, and was currently working on a feminine figure, although her anatomy did seem a little similar to--

You heard footsteps at the top of the steps, tilting your head back to see who could possibly be all the way up here when the figure before you sent a familiar feeling through you. Red hair. Eyes filled with underlying malice. Karma, you mused, mentally praising your knowledge when Nagisa proceeded to utter the same name, albeit with more enthusiasm than you could ever muster. You had reread Karma’s profile during the holidays, long before any of the students had stepped foot near the base of the mountain, and he was exactly what you were used to in a typical Class E student. Given your previous run ins with him, as short as they were, you were surprised it had taken this long for a transfer. You knew how to handle him, sure, but your main concern was how other people would. 

Karma responded in kind to Nagisa’s outburst, taking gracious, long strides down the steps. He spared you a glance as he passed you, nodding his head in recognition whilst you did the same, mumbling his name in acknowledgement as you did so. Apart from Nagisa and your greeting no one offered any towards Karma, all seemingly confused and surprised by his appearance. You saw Korosensei move in the corner of your vision, before noting that something seemed, off, with the boy approaching the group. He was a little unhinged, sure, but something seemed, _different_ , more sinister almost. 

Deciding to get out of there before things took a further turn, you haphazardly rose from your seated position and made your way back towards the staff room, trying to ignore the slight limp in your walk and failing to notice the gaze that followed you. You arrived at said room a few minutes later, collapsing into your favourite seat with a sigh. The seat did not look any different to the others, albeit a tad more threadbare, but that was due to a bunch of stuffing you had shoved into it from one of your old, tired out sofa cushions back home before you replaced it. Said seat tended to always be occupied by someone else in the office nowadays, so having the chance to have it all to yourself again was bliss in itself. 

The rest of the period passed by whilst you flipped through your magazine, humming lightly to yourself, completely failing to notice when a certain student from before snuck in and rummaged through the mini fridge you had brought in during the start of term, taking its contents with a devilish smile on his face. 

… Okay, maybe you did know he was there, but you considered it payback for your missing pastry. What you did fully notice, however, was the door being hurriedly opened. Eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, you looked up from behind the cover just in time to see a looming figure engulf the entire doorframe. Said figure entered the room, closed the door, and proceeded to cross the room and punch the wall.

 **“Hey!”** You yelled out, completely forgetting your Japanese and rising to your feet faster than you thought possible. **“What the f--”** The words died in your throat upon noticing that no major damage had been caused to the wall. In fact, no damage seemed to be occurring at all from the action, you mused as you slowly ventured closer to the surface and the being currently punching it. The punches were soft, the sound of them colliding with the wall reverberating through the enclosed space, and their sound upon contact was similar to that of a bouncy ball gracing the floor after leaving one's grasp. 

_Thump. Thump._

“Okay so--” _Thump._ “Do I even want to know why you're punching a wall?” The so called fist paused in its movement, Korosensei’s version of knuckles skimming the wall. Realisation dawned on you with a heavy sigh that transformed into a chuckle. “Let me guess, Karma got to you, in more ways than one?”

“He took my hand off!” Korosensei’s chipped, hand leaving the wall as he turned away from it, limbs flailing wildly. If they contained bones they definitely would have broken by now. A red hue took up most of his face, eyes tilted in a similar fashion to when one's eyebrows furrow. Even his grin seemed somewhat forced. You had never seen him so annoyed, full blown angry, sure, but a-- wait, he took his hand off?! “He caught me off guard and then openly mocked me! Insinuating I couldn't do anything because I'm his teacher and that would be wrong! Very wrong! And he's right, it would be! Oh I hate tha--”

“He took your hand off?” The shock evident in your tone must have taken him by surprise, the rest of his tangent as he looked over at you. Well, at least it had lessened the red, even by a little. “ **Man** that's, I can't even--” You couldn't. You couldn't even begin to comprehend what that must have felt like. He was supposed to die, sure, so why did you feel bad? His expression had completely changed to one of concern now, your worry no doubt obvious on your face. 

“No no [Name] I assure you, it did not hurt. Stung a little, yes, but as you can see I'm quite alright.” He spluttered over his words slightly, clearly fretting over your wellbeing, which did nothing for the fluttering of your stomach. The man received his worst injury from a student to date and he was too busy making sure you were reassured? He really was a strange one. 

“Besides,” An all too familiar striped appearance began to form. “It'll take more than that kind of old trick to bring me down.”

Your eyebrow raised on its own accord yet again before you shook your head at his smug display, a less than dignified snort leaving you in response. Said noise only fueled the man further, the resounding chuckle of his following a result. The moment lasted for a few seconds before you glanced back at him, your own nerves settled down whilst he had returned to his usual shade of yellow. 

“Well, I'm glad. I kind of need you not too damaged for that test this afternoon, since I have no idea what they'll be writing about.” You placed emphasis on the final part of your sentence, gaining a scoff in response. “But hey,” He gave the impression that if he had eyebrows, one would be quirked. “You're definitely okay right? Like it's really not that painful?”

Korosensei’s expression softened drastically, a tinge of pink with a little purple beginning to spread across his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish fashion. So much for getting over these feelings you mused, the actions doing nothing to help your heart. Honestly, who gave him the right--

“I can assure you [Name], no damage. ~” The way your name sounded in his unique voice was something to behold, it really was. _Puppy crush indeed._ “But I estimate it's nothing compared to constantly putting pressure on a damaged ankle.” He waggled one of his fingers in front of you as you opened your mouth in protest, eyes twinkling. “Do not try to play this off, I can tell. So we're going to fix that. Sit.”

The feeling that overcame the room was thick enough to cut through concrete, you were certain. A familiar feeling of nerves prickled up your spine before spreading across your neck like a wildfire. “W-Why?”

“Why, so I can fix it, of course! ~” Korosensei was either oblivious to your current discomfort or flat out ignoring its existence, glancing over at you before gesturing to the chair you were previously upon, grin twitching. “Don't make me force you to. ~”

With a grumble you sat upon said seat before you allowed the thoughts that may form regarding that particular sentence to blossom forth, watching with strange fascination as he hummed in approval and lowered himself into a chair he had placed in front of you, his figure still towering over you. He made a motion with his fingers for you to raise your injured body part and you did so, gingerly placing it onto a tentacle he had extended just for it. He lifted the fabric of your trouser leg enough to see your ankle clearly, the skin still slightly discoloured from bruising whilst you mentally applauded yourself for bothering to shave. He glanced at the skin for a prolonged period, long enough to make your nerves intensify. You nudged him with your foot delicately, the sole of your shoe making contact with his flesh and he visibly flinched, eyes flicking back to your own with that all too familiar pink tinge upon his cheeks, expression sheepish. A small, nervous smile of your own appeared in return, and you sucked in a breath as he returned his attention to your ankle, placing his hand tentacle upon the skin. 

You had felt the sensation of his tentacles before, the texture only a tiny bit sticky, reminding you of an old stress toy you used to have, but it still caused goosebumps to erupt along your flesh. He began kneading the skin slowly, tentatively, as if you would break under him from even the tiniest bit of pressure. It was, sweet, in a way, how caring he was being. _But he’s caring to everyone_ , the thought crossed your mind bitterly, _what makes you any different?_ Yet, as the massage like attention continued did such thoughts leave, being replaced with new ones. You were going to believe only you got this level of attention, whether you actually did or not, damn it! You were going to savour this moment for as long as you could. ~

He was being _so_ gentle, so caring with you as he continued working, only speaking up to enquire if you were alright, which you assured him that yes, you were, before he continued. At one point he grazed a particular spot upon your ankle just right and you could not help the pleased sigh that escaped you, and you could see his grin inch up towards his eyes at the sound. Alas, the moment could not last forever, and shortly after that did he finish, tugging your trouser leg back down and releasing your leg back onto the floor with a pleased sound of his own.

“There!” He quipped, clapping his hands together, completely tearing you away from your tranquil state of mind. “That should have done the trick. Go on, go on! Give it a try. ~”

He scrapped his chair backwards, allowing you space as you rose to your feet and took a few steps forward, emitting a gasp as you did so. “Wow, it's like, completely normal!” It was as if your ankle had never been twisted at all. In fact, it felt better than it had in years. You did a twirl for effect, earning a chuckle from him before clasping your hands together, facing him with a twinkle in your eye. “Thank you so much, really! I have no idea how to repay you.”

He flicked his hand at you, shaking his head in protest before rising to his own feet. “It is quite alright [Name]. I was more than happy to assist. You do not owe me anyth--”

“How about a date?” The words tumbled from your lips before you could stop them, causing you both to freeze. You jaw dropped a fraction and his mouth seemed to tighten, both your eyes widening. “I-I mean like, not a date date!” Your spluttered out, trying your best to dig yourself out of this hole whilst he continued to blankly stare at you, pink hue crossing over to the back of his head. “ **But like** , we've both got marking to catch up on, and lessons to plan. So we can do it at the weekend here, with food! By food I mean, you could go fetch it and I pay, or I fetch and we both pay, or, **y'know** \--” _Oh no. **Oh no.**_ “Plus I want to get to know you better. Teachers should know each other, right? And I want to repay you, really! It's the least I can do!”

Your voice had risen a few octaves on its own accord as you reached the end of your tangent, every fibre of your being feeling as though it was ready to fall out of you. You could tell you were blushing, and Korosensei did not look much better, his entire being seemingly pink at this point, with two noticeable red patches under his eyes. You both continued to stare at one another, the awkwardness of the entire ordeal making you long for the floor to swallow you up. Seconds turned into minutes, and then--

“I'd love to.” Korosensei was the first to speak again, voice lower than its regular pitch. You both seemed taken aback by the sudden speech, but it was enough to knock you both back down to reality, him coughing into his fist whilst you adjusted your hair. “I'll happily get the food, straight from the source too! How does, Sunday sound? I have tutoring on Saturday, that's all.”

“Sunday is fine.” Thankfully your voice was at its normal level, and you slowly sat back down, reaching for your abandoned magazine whilst he straightened his tie and walked towards the door. You could hear the bell chime outside. “When's good for you? Afternoon?”

Korosensei slid the door open with ease, casting a glance at you over his shoulder, the sound of students filtering back in filling the previously silent space. His face was completely back to normal, save for his grin, which twitched upward. 

“The afternoon is fine [Name], it is a date. ~”

“I'll see you then, Koro.” 

It was only when the door fully shut and you heard him enter the classroom did you press the magazine against your face, squealing loudly in delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (50 points if you guess who Koro was making in the sand wink wonk)
> 
> It's not a date yo. It's just two teachers getting together to get to know each other better. Alone. With food. And it's not like there's any feelings lingering in the air (;
> 
> Reader is still nervous and insecure about the whole multiple teachers/inferior thing but she's a tough cookie she knows how to put on a brave face. Fake it 'til ya make it~
> 
> Anyhow! Hope this was okay and not too repetitive etc. Like I said I wrote this half asleep and out of it but excuses excuses. Chapter 5 is planned out, it's just finding the energy to write it. 
> 
> Please do let me know what you think! It's v appreciated. Friendly reminder to ignore any notes under this I still don't know why they're there.


	5. Karma Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally stayed awake all night writing this so it's probably hot garbage. Hotter garbage than usual. 
> 
> Just a little filler, I guess. I'd also like to take this moment to say students are sat a little differently than they are in canon. Sorry! 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own.
> 
> Bolded words during speech = reader speaking English.
> 
> Enjoy!

The rest of Tuesday afternoon passed by with nothing of interest, save of course for Korosensei’s screech resounding throughout the campus, which you later found out was due to discovering Karma had taken his gelato which he had worked so hard on maintaining. You had shook your head at that, the faintest sound of a chuckle leaving you. That boy was going to be the end of him if he wasn't careful. 

Wednesday was a little more eventful, if not draining, given it was your first full day with the students. Karasuma would be situated in the staffroom like usual, tapping away various reports on his laptop whilst Korosensei ventured to who knows where before observing your final lesson for the day, meaning you effectively had no help either. Usually you would thrive in this environment, for it was all you had really known, but you had grown rather accustomed to the current arrangements, as so had the students, sadly. 

Some classes were a little rocky at first, you would admit, but once everyone got into the swing of things, it was just like old times. You fell back into your routine, leaving some students stunned at how effectively you navigated through the learning material. It wasn't long before the thrill of being in your favourite environment took over you completely, and the entire class looked on in astonishment. No wonder even students from the main building longed to be taught by you. 

The second to last period of the day was currently underway, the only disturbance so far being Karma throwing a knife a little to closely to your ear. You scolded him for his actions with an authoritative tone that even had his eyes dilating, and sent him to stand outside the classroom for the remainder of the period, knowing full well he was capable enough to catch up on the material regardless. Whether he would still be out there when you went to check on him during cleaning time was an entirely different question.

So here you were, tapping the chalk lightly against the blackboard with every letter you etched upon it, the happiness in your voice evident as students continued to question and answer correctly.

“Well done Kayano!” You practically beamed at the girl as you turned around, causing her to lightly blush. “But you need to remember to get both nouns. Tokyo is also a noun because it is a place.” She nodded before jotting what you had said next to her already existing notes, a few of her classmates doing the same. “Now,” You continued, sparing a glance around the room, particularly towards the back row before steeling yourself. “I trust everyone did the worksheet? How did you all do with question six?”

You could feel the tension in the room begin to simmer as a couple of students shuffled awkwardly in their seats. Hinano, an absolute sweetheart in your opinion and original source of your previous frustrations regarding said topic respectfully raised her hand, even if it was shaking a fraction. 

“To be honest [Last Name]-san, I struggled with it a little. Not that it's because of how you taught it!” She shook her head, her quickness to defend your teaching methods catching you off guard. “You taught it great, giving lots of detail! Just, I still didn't get it, and--” Suddenly it all made sense. The puzzled looks. The lack of questioning at the end. The hushed whisper when asking Korosensei instead. You felt like such an idiot. 

“So instead of asking me for help again, thinking I would be upset that you didn't get it, you went and asked Korosensei instead?” You finished for her, noting the look of guilt upon her face, and even on a few other students. “Look, that's okay. You should have spoken up.”

When silence greeted your words, you pressed on. “I'll happily explain something over and over until you understand it, or point you towards the correct information. Being a teacher means making sure your students get the best out of your teaching, and that they understand what's going on. It's okay to not get it. But most importantly it's okay to ask.” A soft smile graced your lips as you gestured with your arms towards the class. “Other people will have said this to you all before, and I get that it's difficult, but I am not one of those people. I'll fight tooth and nail until you get a point. **Heck, I'll fight myself.** Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and it's all about building on them. You know, I teach and I'm terrible at this language. I still can't say f… Fl…” Instead of continuing to try and pronounce the word you blew a raspberry instead, pride surging through you at the laughter it caused. “See? I still can't get it, but it hasn't stopped me. And your hindrances shouldn't stop you.”

You waved your hand at Hinano, realising you were starting to get off topic. “So I won't be offended if you don't get it, or be offended if you ask again, and that goes for everyone. If anything,” You quipped, placing a hand on your chest in a dramatic fashion. “I'm more offended you asked Korosensei instead of me. ~” _And not just because I'm still convinced that octopus fucker is slowly starting to steal my job._

The lesson continued smoothly after that, all traces of nervousness between the students and yourself fully evaporated. It wasn't because the students disliked you or were scared of you, which was a good thing, however the knowledge they were scared to upset you did give you some pause. But that wasn't because you were unapproachable or anything, it couldn't have been. You had made it clear from even before the class was formed this year that you were always available to talk to, so you put it down to previous experiences with teachers. Yes, that was the thought process you were sticking to.

Realising that cleaning time was about to begin, you informed the students to get themselves ready and left the room with the intention of collecting Korosensei for the final lesson. Sure, there was still twenty minutes of cleaning time, but he would appreciate it. Plus you hadn't really seen him since your totally not awkward get together arrangements from the previous day, and you needed that. You didn't talk that much, but it was nice, and his presence helped, well, sooth you. You were exhausted from a day of teaching, after all, and could appreciate the boost. It was kind of silly really, how much you already seemed to depend on him. _Get a grip, [Name]._

Karma still being situated outside of the classroom made you halt on your path towards the staffroom, quirking a brow in his direction before noting he had a hand suspiciously placed behind his back. Ah, so that's why he stayed. 

“Karma. ~” You cooed, watching him visibly twitch at the sickly sweet tone you adopted. “I'm so glad you decided to stay. I'm so _proud_ of you!” He went to open his mouth in retaliation, but you cut him off with a raised hand, tone returning to normal as you spoke again. “If whatever you've planned **fucks** with me or your classmates then I'll do more than keep the voice, okay?” You continued your journey to the staffroom then, barely noting his nod of confirmation as you slid the door open, him doing the same with the classroom’s. 

“Oh, [Name]!” Korosensei had barely said a word and you could already feel your heart pattering into your throat, his grin widening a fraction as his eyes met yours. “It's cleaning time, is it not? I didn't think you'd need my help already?” 

Oh, so that's how it was going to be? You rolled your eyes as the stripes began to form, a grin of your own taking shape. 

“You should be so lucky, but nah, I came to fetch you because cleaning time is more an underling’s thing, you know?” His stripes only seemed to widen at this, grin widening further as his eyes practically sparkled.

“Oho, is that so? ~ Then why are you out here then?”

“Oh you **cheeky** little--” You clipped back, trying your hardest not to laugh as your eyelids dropped a fraction in mock anger. His eyes only seemed to do the same, albeit in a mock threatening fashion, and both of you failed to notice Karasuma watching on with a knowing look in his eye. “Well I'm here to get you and observe your progress. Because that's what superiors do. **They supervise.** ”

Both of you laughed then, the terrible illusion effectively broken as you waved your hand and he stood, approaching you with a face returned to its original shade. The sparkle still remained, however. “Nah c'mon squiddy boy, you can help out too, just make sure I don't have to call in the big guns.” With another chuckle and a shake of his head did the two of you depart from the room, again forgetting Karasuma’s existence, although he had now gained the smallest of smiles. 

The walk to the classroom took barely any time at all, and Korosensei was about to open the door for both of you when you blocked his hand, the sudden action causing him to look at you in confusion. 

“Listen,” He leant down a fraction, curiosity building atop of the confusion as you took on a voice barely above a whisper. You knew he could hear it regardless. “I know you've probably got a plan for him already, but throw Karma’s game back at him.” You could tell if he had a nose that it would definitely be scrunched by now. “ **No but, listen** , he's done nothing but mock you, right?” A nod. “So, do it back, even if it's just a little. Karma’s the type who has never really known competition, naturally he ain't going to expect you to join him on the same playing field. Or, you know.” You rubbed the back of your neck,casting a glance at the floor. “Just do whatever you think is best.” 

The smallest of taps to your hand got your attention again, vision returning to the being as he pointed a tentacle towards his face, your confusion no doubt obvious as you squinted. What was he-- Oh. There, on his face, was the lightest red circle you had ever seen him produce. Clearly he had toned down its usual vibrancy to prevent the students from being alerted. Huh. That was pretty cute--

You merely grinned in response, him doing the same, the faintest of pink gracing him as you turned towards the door once more, only this time you allowed him to open it, both of you stepping inside with ease. 

\--

Karma had, probably for the first time in his life, bestowed Karma with its presence that afternoon. 

The minute you stepped into the classroom you knew something was off, the aura of the class being a heavy indicator of that. It was then that you saw what awaited Korosensei upon the desk, and you felt yourself hold a breath for longer than you believed possible. Still, the man took it surprisingly in his stride, even opting to humiliate the boy a tad in the process. Said humiliation only seemed to continue throughout the lesson, and you slowly began to watch his resolve crumble throughout it all. You almost felt bad for him. Almost. 

Friday was the final nail in the coffin. The entirety of Thursday seemed to pass by as a blur, given you were mainly in the faculty area assessing paperwork and occasionally engaging in light conversation with Karasuma, who mainly told you off for hogging all of the hot water for your beverages, but you had heard from students and even Korosensei himself when he briefly stopped by to ‘see if his subordinates had died yet’ (you had thrown a particularly heavy book at him for the remark, laughing as he seemed to barely dodge it, a panicked squeak leaving him as he did so) that Karma had undergone further humiliation. 

You had also apparently missed out on Korosensei’s appearance changing due to Okuda giving him some ‘wicked ass’ potions, which was pretty disappointing, but the knowledge he had asked for one to be made specifically had you worried. You wanted to run up to her and shake some sense into her, but you knew better than that. He would not openly cheat his way into gaining an advantage that easily, so you let him continue on with whatever life lesson he was trying to instil. Either way, you were so going to be there, if not just for the photos Kayano claimed to have taken. 

In turned out Kayano had taken photos, the appearances the octopus had gained in them making you snort before speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. 

“Yo remember to not be too close when potion queen hands over the goods. We don't want another molt incident.” You chose not to cast a glance towards Terasaka and his cohorts, despite everyone being able to tell how badly you wanted to. The atmosphere shifted when said ‘potion queen’ appeared, holding up a vial with pride. 

“Guys look, I did it!” The twinkle behind her glasses warmed your heart. “I can't wait to try this out on him. I'm gonna hand it over the minute he gets here!” Her friends voiced their concerns whilst you shook your head, returning to your designated viewing seat towards the back. It only took a few moments before said man entered, sending a warm greeting towards everyone before catching your eye, a nod of acknowledgement in your direction and a familiar twinkle. His usual pink tinge, one which you didn't question anymore, seemed darker as he did so, which you did question, however it didn't last long given Okuda ungraciously shoved the vial in his face. 

What happened next you couldn't explain, no matter how much you wanted to. Sure, it would probably be easier to explain than a nine foot plus ‘not an alien’ octopus who was going to go nuclear on the planet in under a year, but you couldn't find the words to comprehend it. The hollow mirth and dominating tone Korosensei gained after drinking the vial and began to transform had done something to your insides even you didn't want to acknowledge at this point. The faster moving than usual pile of goop he had become didn't want to be acknowledged either, especially after you swore it smacked you, if the surprised squeak and slight stinging were anything to go by. Plus, you saw it when he settled into a corner, expression nonchalant. You saw that familiar pink tinge. 

He returned to normal after that, having provided Okuda with the life lesson you were half expecting, and afterwards did the first half of the day, despite your stinging and the pink dusting upon his cheeks. Then it was time for Home Economics. 

Home Economics was the final nail in Karma’s coffin. 

He had been absent during that first period, sliding into the classroom with an indifferent attitude before going to stand by Nagisa, instantly engaging with the current cooking activity as though nothing had happened at all. You cast a weary glance his way, watching your fellow teacher do the same before returning to assist Hinano with her chopping. Entirely focused on helping her did you fail to notice the oncoming disruption before it was too late, an echoing of gasps being your only indication as you turned around. 

Karma had sent the soup flying, quite literally, for he had decided to send someone's soup sky high in an attempt to distract his target long enough to take him out, the hot contents of the pan beginning to fly in different directions, one being your face. Thankfully, his target just so happened to probably be the fastest thing alive, and a tentacle obscured your vision long enough to receive the incoming damage. Still did a pained gasp rip from your vocal chords. The tentacle began quaking against its better judgement, and against your better judgement you reached out to tentatively grasp it, fingers moving in what you hoped were a soothing motion. It seemed to do the trick, for it began to still, and you took the opportunity to glare at Karma. 

… “Hey” A double take. **"Hey!”** You released the tentacle suddenly as though it had shocked you, crossing your arms with a huff instead. “That's _my_ apron!” Your annoyed outburst did very little to lessen the colour in Karma’s cheeks, nor lessen the laughter of his classmates. Sure enough, Korosensei had donned him in your apron, along with a hat and bow. Said man looked on with the expected smugness evident on his face, although with the smallest hints of pink and blue mixed in. Wait, blue? 

You did not have time to ponder the situation as Karma huffed himself, tearing the bow off and throwing the hat unceremoniously onto the floor as he began to stomp out of the room. You figured your apron would meet the same fate, so you and others, Korosensei included, were surprised to find it be thrown upon your shoulder as he left.

Once the door slammed shut did the lesson return to normal, although you didn't really feel like cooking anymore when you began to lean down to pick up your apron, surprise taking over when it appeared to ascend from the wooden floorboards instead. It took a few moments to realise it was a tentacle lifting it up towards you, if the hand placed upon your chest was any indication. You didn't bother turning your head towards him as you mouthed a thank you, practically feeling the warmth of his smile from there. You did turn towards him when you found a new piece of paper stuffed into your apron’s pocket, however, but he had already moved on to the next student who needed his help. 

\--

The final period of Friday was supposed to be a study period, but you had allowed the students to leave early, informing them that so long as they were not caught on the way down, you had no issue with it.

“You're all up to date on work away.” You chirped, waving their comments off. “Go enjoy some non-killing time.”

It wasn't until the final student had filtered out, the classroom was tidied to a respectable level and you fell into a staffroom chair with a side, your favourite one currently occupied by Karasuma who merely raised a brow at you did you remember the mystery piece of paper. You dug it out of your pocket, unfolding it gently to see what it was. 

… 

It was a phone number. A hastily written down one, at that, with a drawing of an octopus you were all too used to seeing by now beside it. 

… Huh. What the f--

“Hey Karasuma,” Said man paused momentarily in his typing to look at you. “Does Koro have a phone? And if so, how?”

“Yes, he has a phone, and we do not know how. I assume the octopus bought it himself.” You could feel his other brow rise. “Why do you ask?”

You held the paper up so he could see its contents from the other side of the desk, a small noise of amusement leaving him as he read it. “Yes, that is his number. I assumed you already had it?” You shook your head, pretending not to notice the tone his voice adapted on the final sentence. 

“Nah, didn't even know he had a phone. Not like I use mine much anyway.” You did use your phone, but not particularly for communication. You had Karasuma’s number, sure, along with the Chairman’s, but apart from that you only had a handful of numbers, most of those being takeout or your students, most of which you only communicated with through the occasional cat photo anyway. Apart from Okajima. He was the ass snapshots. Definitely a favourited number. 

Still, seeing Korosensei’s number in front of you made your heart flutter all over again, and you tried to act nonchalant as you entered the number into your phone before firing a quick message its way, but Karasuma was smart enough, he could probably feel your blush before it slowly appeared on your features.

A number of minutes passed after that, both occupants of the faculty room tapping away to themselves. The window was open a fraction, allowing you to hear segments of a conversation in a distance. It sounded like Karma had had his own realisation, from what you could pick up, and you figured he had pickpocketed Korosensei again, given how he was clearly whinging about having no money in his purse anymore. You also swore you heard him comment on 'how was he supposed to buy you dinner now', but that was probably your imagination. Your gaze shifted briefly to Karasuma, stilling upon seeing him looking at you with the same look he had worn when he walked in that one time, and you quickly looked away, another blush staining your cheeks. 

_Definitely_ your imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (please ignore any notes below these)
> 
> So reader finally landed his number eh? Moving on up in the world~ Also reader and Okajima are total perv buddies. Don't judge.
> 
> This was mainly a filler type chapter to cover manga/canon stuff. But don't worry! 'Date' stuff is soon, and then a certain staff member arrives, which I am so ready for. Although Koro did totally smack your booty as his grey blob self. He totally did that. 
> 
> Sorry again if it's repetitive etc. Again, I wrote it from like 4am to 9am on/off. Let me know what you think!


	6. Time For Reassuring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter, which is also a hot mess.I might delete it and redo it at some point tbh. 
> 
> The date is soon, I promise. I'm just getting to it. 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. Bolded words during speech = reader speaking English.
> 
> Enjoy!

“No, they are not to accompany the date outfit.”

The cashier merely smiled at you before beginning to scan your items, both of you knowing she did not believe your words at all. You opted not to defend yourself further, as it tended to lead people to believe you were poorly lying out of guilt, especially due to the exasperated tone you often gained as you did so. Seriously, why did that always happen?

It had been a typical Saturday afternoon when the sound of your phone pinging on the finely dust covered coffee table gave you pause, you fumbling to grab said device from your comfortable position on the sofa. Seeing a jarbled mess of letters and symbols was not what you expected to greet you when you finally held the phone up to your face, eyebrows furrowing until you realised who had sent said message, relief clear in your sigh. 

Korosensei seemed to have finally messaged you back, albeit with difficulty, if the three following messages he sent also being filled with a mismatch of numbers and letters were any indication. The fourth message thankfully contained legible words, the man apologising for the previous ones. It would seem that he had remembered to enquire your food preference, as he had forgotten to do so beforehand, when a couple of pilots had decided to give him hassle. You had laughed at the mental image, texting back your preferred choice with a smile. Honestly you had forgotten as well, but you were more than happy to just grab an assortment of snack boxes from the local store, as his company during the date was more important--

Your smile morphed into a nervous one, the situation finally hitting you full force. _**Oh no.**_

So here you were, thanking the cashier as she handed over your shopping bags with half a smile. It had been around two hours since the severity of the situation had shook your nerves into a level of overload you had not experienced for quite some time. You were going on a date, a _date_! Sure, it was really, probably, just a meeting type thing in the school building, but you were going to be alone together, and you had _both_ called it a date-- 

You had realised then that all of your current outfits simply wouldn't do, and that you would have to splash out, even a little. Besides, shopping always possessed a soothing quality for you, and you definitely needed something like that right now. It was merely a coincidence that the store also happened to be having a sale on underwear, and that your preferred bra was starting to wear out, as you could feel one of its wires beginning to poke at your side. It wasn't _your_ fault that you had spent much longer than necessary staring at their range, the variety of shapes, styles and colours taking you aback. The look you had received from a particularly tall lady hadn't helped either, her face coated with the finest shade of pink when you made eye contact. 

The outfit you had picked out wasn't anything particularly striking, just the right level of ‘flirty’ without crossing the line and soft enough to be transferred into everyday wear, but you had fallen in love with it instantly. Rarely did clothing do such a thing, yet the minute you saw the fine material of the shirt and stumbled across the skirt further down the aisle you just _knew._

You hummed to yourself, adjusting your grip on the bags as you ventured outside, feet leading on their own accord. The sun was beginning to settle gently behind the horizon now, the warm tones it created cascading across the slowly emptying streets, creating a sense of tranquility. Your nerves were still present, twisting and turning your insides, but they weren't nearly as bad as before. Still, you could really do with another pick-me-up. Your feet turned you into a familiar direction then, and you couldn't help the smile that graced your lips. 

\--

“... And that's that, so here I am.”

The sun had fully settled beneath the horizon now, the skies darkened and sprinkled with the occasional star as the city's nightlife began to awaken. The sound of numerous footsteps could be heard passing outside every so often, accompanied with lively chatter and half drunken laughter, but very few ventured into the small sanctuary you were currently situated in, taking a small sip of the drink you were nursing whilst the person you had spoken to continued to slowly wipe down glasses from the other side of the bar. 

“Sounds like you're in a bit of a pickle there, [Name].” You groaned at their words, fingers tapping against the bar while you shuffled your feet once more, trying your hardest not to knock your bags over and spill their contents all over the floor. 

“Yeah, no shit Zusi.” Said woman simply grinned at you, cleaning her current glass with more vigour. 

Azusa, as she was properly known, was probably the closest thing you had to a best friend, given she was your real first point of contact after moving into the city. You had walked into each other, quite literally, and thankfully she was polite enough about the incident to help direct you towards the school you were looking for, half joking that you owed her a trip to her bar to make up for it. She didn't expect you to actually take her up on the offer, so seeing you at her establishment that evening was a surprise. The two of you had instantly struck it off after that, and a wonderful friendship had blossomed forth after a number of years. Azusa’s health had begun to take a turn for the worst after the first year, sadly, and only continued to descend from there. You both continued to act the same as always, despite the obvious differences, yet you tried to not let the situation get the best of either of you. 

... Still, the less she knew about the funds you had been saving up to pay towards the medical bills she could never afford, the better. 

“I'm _serious_ Zusi,” Your drink spilled a fraction, staining the wooden surface of the bar as your grip loosened. Maybe ordering a third strong alcoholic beverage when you usually stayed away from them wasn't the best idea, but damn it did you need the sense of confidence and esteem they helped to bring. Your words were starting to slur. “I **really** don't know what to do.”

Azusa had learnt of your entire school dilemma within the space of under an hour, a few glasses crashing to the floor with a wince from the sound as she did so. Strictly speaking, discussing anything to do with the class was an offence worse than federal, but you trusted Azusa with your life, and you were tired of not having anyone to talk about the entire insanity of the situation with. You did skip out on the planet destroying part of the story, however, opting instead to give Korosensei the back story of an experiment that simply had a year to be killed before he was moved to a new location. It still didn't make a lot of sense, but it would have to do. The woman had enough worries on her plate as it was. 

There was silence between you for a few moments, both of you turning your heads slightly as the door chime jingled as a tall business suit donned gentleman entered, a warm smile covering your face as Hotaru skipped out to greet him as he situated himself at the other side of the bar. _She really did look like him…_ You managed to overhear his order of a cassis and orange before Azusa spoke up once more, humour clear in her voice. 

“I didn't take you to be falling in love with another teacher so soon, [Name].” You couldn't help but laugh, failing to notice the gentleman twitch slightly.

“I am _not_ in love with him, I barely know him! Stop putting that kinda stuff in my head, Zusi. Man, I hate you so much. ~” You cooed, blowing a small raspberry as she rolled her eyes, their clouded surface shining with mirth regardless. “I came here for _help_ regarding my nerves and you just go ahead and make them worse! Some bartender you are. ~”

“Oh come on [Name], you said the same thing about her, and we all know how that went.” Her smile dropped a fraction and you scoffed, trying to ignore the pain curling in your stomach. “But seriously, you'll be fine. You're great! He wouldn't say yes if he didn't think so too.”

“Or,” You propped your elbow onto the bar, pointing a finger at her, ignoring Hotaru’s pointed look. “Or, it's ‘cause we share a class. And gotta teach in it together. And barely know each other. So he figured we should know each other more for **convenience**.” You paused to take another swig of your drink, slur becoming more prominent with each passing moment. “Or maybe he did it out of politeness, because it ain't exactly in his nature to say no.”

“[Name], you and I both know that's crap.” Azusa pressed on, ignoring the horrific sound of your head thumping against the bar, a low groan leaving you as you did so. How you didn't spill your drink you would never know. “You might joke that your appearance is the reason why things have gone the way they have for me, but we both know that's not true. You look amazing, and you're a wonderful person. You're hard working, committed, and sure, your humour is a little off.” You scoffed, eliciting a small laugh. “But you're great [Name]. You have nothing to worry about.”

You could see the gentleman at the other end of the bar from your current position, his head also against the wooden surface, face flushed, despite his drink seemingly being untouched. He must have hit a few places before here, or be even more of a lightweight than yourself, although you doubted that. If you were half focused, you would see that his eyes were trained on you. 

“Yeah well, I still don't get it.” Azusa had to strain a little to pick up your words as they left you in a mumbled state. Your eyelids suddenly felt heavy, the weight of the nerves regarding tomorrow hitting you like a sack of bricks to your spinal chord. “He's just, so _great_ , and **shit** \--” It was true. Korosensei was practically living up to his name at this point, and his speed was rival to none. Not to mention how ridiculously effective his teaching was… And then there was you. You barely stood on the same level as him. “He's already proven to be better than me at _everything_ I do. **He's great.** What have I got? **Nothing.** I ain't got nothing to offer--” Your eyelids felt heavy, so heavy. 

**“Compared to him, I really _am_ nobody.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (ignore any notes that appear below these)
> 
> If you're not familiar with Azusa and Hotaro then please go check out the extra chapters. They're great and you won't regret it. Plus, I just wanted reader to have a friend, y'know? The insecure sweetie deserves one.
> 
> Anyway this chapter is??? I dunno. It could be more detailed in places and probably repeats and blech. Date chapter is next though, I swear. 
> 
> Thanks for continuing to read this hot mess! Feedback/comments are v appreciated~


	7. Date, Start! Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is. The fabled date chapter. Which honestly could be better in places but heyo. I'll just make up for it with new date chapters wink wonk. Hopefully this chapter is also back to the standard chapter length too.
> 
> Also over 100 hits! Thank you guys so much and don't be afraid to show your support, even if it's just a kudos or a comment made up of gibberish. It's v much appreciated.
> 
> All mistakes are my own. No reader speaking English this time so no bolded info (gasp). 
> 
> Enjoy!

The sound of plates clattering together in the next room rose you from your slumber, lightly smacking your dried lips together and narrowing your sleep stained eyes in confusion. You didn't remember going to bed, or what happened after your little negative spiel the night before, but a familiar spring digging into your hip made guilt rack you to your core. You had promised they wouldn't have to lug you about anymore, and yet…

After a few hazy moments you sat up, swinging your legs absentmindedly off of the futon and rubbing your eyes with a groan, a headache already forming. Thankfully, a quick glance at your phone clock informed you it was currently morning, the bright 11:05 blaring at you in distaste, so you hadn't missed the main activity for today. You also spotted a message waiting for you, informing you that two o’clock would be the time that the date would begin. Familiar butterflies fluttered in your stomach then, giving you pause. 

_You can do this [Name]._

The kitchen was occupied when you entered it, both members of the family currently in there, Hotaru leant over a thick set book at the table whilst Azusa scrubbed dishes at a sink far too small. That would explain the clattering from earlier. You saw her hand pause midway to grabbing another plate, glancing over her shoulder with a light smile, loose strands of hair from her ever present ponytail falling onto her bare shoulder. 

“Morning [Name].” Her tone was the same as ever, light and friendly, gracing your ears pleasantly. Hotaru offered her own smile as well, looking up from her book briefly. You couldn't help but smile back. 

“Good morning gals. ~” Your voice sounded a little hoarse, but it still seemed to be working. “Listen, before we all start playing happy families again, I just wanna say thanks, and I'm sorry.” You scratched the back of your neck. “I promised you both I wouldn't keep stealing Hotaru’s futon yet there I was. I'm also sorry about whatever dribble is on it.”

The laugh that sounded from Azusa warmed your very being, whilst the shake of a head and giggle from Hotaru warmed it further. You were originally going to apologise for being a bother, yet again, and for having them haul your unconscious form through their home, but you knew they would just tell you to stop being silly and that you were no bother at all. You were their friend after all, their anchor to stable ground while they were yours. 

You ruffled Hotaru’s hair as you passed, earning another giggle. She was in a lower standing high school in the area, but was originally part of Kunugigaoka High, choosing to stay in the same environment as her Junior High, but opted to transfer into a less stressful environment when her mother’s health began taking a turn for the worst. You used to tutor her when you both had more spare time, and she had affectionately dubbed you Auntie on more than one occasion during those sessions, although nowadays you were technically her next legal guardian, something else Azusa and yourself did not fully discuss for the time being. 

“Your outfit in the bag looks great by the way, [Name]-kun!” Hotaru offered with another smile whilst you tugged at the hem of your shirt out of habit, mumbling a thank you. You had taken some time to come around to your surroundings in her bedroom, managing to stumble forward… And over your bags left precariously in front of her dresser. Said bags were currently situated by the door, patiently waiting for you to depart.

You had reached your destination by that point, leaning over to place a kiss on Azusa’s temple, her once again pausing in her washing up before carrying on with a light head shake and chuckle before you whirled around, pressing a kiss to Hotaru’s temple as well. You practically skipped out of the room, only pausing to reach down for the bags before looking over your shoulder and waving with a flourish. 

“Thanks again, but I've got to go get ready. Don't worry, I won't spare too many details. So bye girlies!” You were sure you were beaming. “Wish me luck. ~”

\--

You arrived at the Old Campus at approximately 1:48pm, if your phone was anything to go by, the journey back to your home to shower and prepare yourself taking a tad longer than you had originally planned. 

... Okay, so _maybe_ that was because you spent a little too long on deciding whether to wear any jewellery or not, finally deciding on your simple silver chain with a rose charm dangling from it, and _maybe_ you had been distracted by a hair tutorial video on how to put it up into a bun just right, and _maybe_ , just maybe, the wind had picked up on the way up the mountainside, causing your skirt to become stuck on a tree and you spent far too long trying to detach it without causing a rip. But you had made it! You were here, safe and sound, and that was all that mattered. 

You walked up the steps and entered the building at a leisurely pace, allowing the warm glow of the afternoon sun to further calm yourself before you entered the unknown. Reaching the staffroom took less time than expected, however, and you were thankful for that, along with it being deserted, as it gave you just enough time to prepare. 

Unceremoniously dropping your rucksack on one of the desks, you stacked the two chairs behind it on top of one another before moving them into a corner, and then proceeded to push said desk towards the wall. You could hear the floorboards scrape beneath the weight, wincing every time the sound of it became a little too loud, but thankfully it was snug against the wall in no time, and you hummed in approval. 

Grabbing what you needed from your rucksack and placing them on the now main desk was easy enough, you tidying up any pieces of clutter here and there and moving a chair to the other side was also easy enough. You were even allowing him your favourite seat, not that he would probably notice. Once those tasks were complete did you check your phone for a final time, finding the time to be exactly 1:58. Tucking it back into your pocket with a satisfied hum did you finally allow yourself to be seated, thanking your nerves for momentarily leaving as they tended to do before a situation you were nervous about actually began. 

Still, perhaps it was the knowing reassurance that even if this, whatever it truly was, did not work out, that the two of you could move past it, you at no doubt a slower pace, however. Korosensei was a professional, as were you, so you had faith everything would be fine. Besides, the date also consisting of marking paperwork, so if the situation didn't work out you could always bury your nose into that and both of you could awkwardly brush this under the metaphorical carpet like it never happened. 

Your phone chimed in your pocket, a sign the alarm you had set before leaving was active, and you felt your excitement hit you full force. 

2:00. Time to go. 

\--

**2:00PM**

Excitement was practically oozing off of you in spades, ever thankful the little budget you had wasn't wasted on new seating, else you would no doubt be spinning around wildly in a computer chair at this point. 

**2:05PM**

Your excitement had dimmed ever so slightly but your smile remained, readjusting your already neatly stacked papers whilst humming a random tune. It was only five minutes, it was acceptable. Plus, you remembered, Korosensei said he would collect the food straight from the source, so he was probably held up in some city somewhere or was momentarily forgetful of differing timezones. This was fine. 

**2:10PM**

Your smile was barely visible as this point as you grumbled, excitement transformed into annoyance as you tapped at your phone, rolling your eyes as the crocodile in the game you were occupying yourself with asked for a coconut, again. The palm tree was right there! Go shake it yourself for once! 

**2:15PM**

Smile completely gone, you nervously chewed at a nail, pretending you weren't checking your phone or glancing at the window and door more than any sane person would. He was just held up, that's all! It had once taken him thirty minutes to return from a lunch run when he insisted it would only take roughly ten, and he was only buying for himself that time. Korosensei wasn't the type to do something like this! You glanced at the window again, chewing another nail. He _wasn't!_

**2:20PM**

Evidently, he was capable of such a thing, an exasperated sigh leaving you as you stood, stretching your legs as you did so. Your excitement was long gone, replaced with an all too familiar feeling pooling in your gut. You were in no mood to arrange the room back into its previous state, or even to move your paperwork back into your rucksack, opting to throw said bag lazily over one shoulder before inching the door open wide enough for you to squeeze through. You were, _were_ , just about to let another sigh escape you as you looked over your shoulder once more in one final moment of hope when you squeaked in surprise instead upon seeing the window suddenly open and close on its accord. 

You could only gape as bags were thrown upon the desk, mouth snapping shut when you heard short puffs of breath from besides the window. It was then you realised who they were coming from. 

Korosensei was, for the first time you had ever seen, completely out of breath, the flesh toned palette he had adopted slowly fading whilst a streak of red remained. A black wig donned upon his head was crooked, and a ill fitting nose upon his face had already sloped down to the top of his teeth at an angle. Apart from that he wore his regular attire. He removed the wig and nose with one hand with a heavy sigh, the other wiping fine beads of sweat on his forehead away. He hadn't seemed to have noticed you were there, thankfully, as you were still tempted to leave regardless, but glancing at the bags once more made your heart flutter. So he really was just delayed with the food shopping. You cursed your own stupidity. 

“Whew!” Despite his appearance, Korosensei’s voice was still the same as always, speaking aloud as he wiped his forehead once more in a dramatic fashion. He still hadn't noticed you. “Ah good, [Name] isn't here yet. Thank goodness.” A blush couldn't help but grace your face as he emitted a dreamy sounding sigh, eyes twinkling and grin becoming lopsided. “That's good, I'd hate to let her do--”

Time seemed to stand still as he blinked, then blinked once more as his gaze, which had been circling the room settled upon your form, still nestled between the door and the doorframe. Oh, _now_ he noticed you. The two of you simply stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before he emitted a panicked shriek at a frequency that caused your ears to pop before he was upon you, practically on his knees and eliciting out sobs whilst you could do nothing but gape at him in shock. 

“[N-Name],” He hiccuped, tilting his now entirely blue head up to meet your eye, a charming trail of mucus cascading down his face. His hands were scrunched together tightly, the yellow darkening from the strain he was putting on them as he continously wringed them together. “I hope you didn't think! I-I would never! I'm so sorry! I got so caught up deciding what to get and if you'd like it and the woman came over with too many appetiser choices and I d-didn’t know and there were too many and--” He was babbling at this point, the words spilling from him faster than his body could ever move. He went completely silent and stilled when you placed a hand upon his shoulder. 

“Koro--” You sighed, ignoring the way his name tingled on your tongue. You had opened the door further during his tangent, allowing yourself the ability to move comfortably. “It's okay. Shit happens. But we're both here now and that's what matters. I accept your apology, whatever exactly it was.”

He shakily nodded, sniffling as he rose from the floor, and you strained your neck in a familiar fashion to see him fully. The entire situation only put more emphasis on how tall he really was. He extended a tentacle to grab a tissue from the table before turning away to blow. Around five tissues later did he turn back to face you, the blue tint a small speckle on his chin now.

“I am glad that you accepted my apology. But I am truly sorry.” You felt a tentacle wipe at the patch of your cheek currently drying, tears having stained it a few minutes before his arrival. His grin was weaker than usual but still present, widening a fraction once the tentacle removed itself. “You are correct, however. We are both here, and that is what matters. Now,” His grin was back to its original state at this point, and he gestured to the desk now littered with plastic bags. You ignored your heart fluttering again when his eyes resumed twinkling. “Shall we?”

Heart starting to beat a little harder in your chest you weakly nodded, smiling as you stepped out of the doorway and closed it with ease.

“Yes, let's.”

\--

It turned out, during his panic at being offered too many appetiser choices Korosensei had done the only thing he deemed correct, which was to grab as many dessert trays as possible and flee with money flying through the air and a squeak. You had laughed it off with a flick of your wrist, more than happy to indulge in nothing but a sweet treat here and there whilst your mouth watered as their aromas began to fill the small area you were in. 

The ‘date’ had, for the last hour or so, passed by with little to no worry at all, the two of simply completing the work you had brought in whilst sharing the occasional note or two. He had asked you more for guidance and assistance than you had he, however, which had shocked you more than anything. He must have seen it on your face, for not long after asking for a fifth time he had stated he didn't actually need the help, and he was only asking to give your confidence the boost it ‘clearly’ needed, which you scoffed at, smiling regardless as you didn't fail to notice his joking tone.

You both also spoke more than you ever had before, the communication flowing easily between the two of you as you discussed trivial tidbits and shared the occasional laugh, and yes, maybe the two of you had talked about the latest 'magazine' issue with a little too much enthusiasm, but it was nice. He shared a few details about his life with you and you responded in kind, simply thankful you were well beyond the point of discussing nothing but the students. 

You were both also more comfortable around each other, and whilst you had touched hands before, it had still felt a little off. Yet every hand brush as you both reached for the same piece of food did not affect you drastically, despite the pink hues it erupted from both of you, and neither did your legs bumping into each other under the table. It was nice. He was nice. You had never noticed before, but Korosensei smelt different, like a certain standard cologne as though he had bathed in it just for this occasion. His teaching attire also seemed a little brighter, although his tie was still the tiniest bit crooked. You couldn't help but let your stomach flip and your smile to present itself.

Two hours in, paperwork long completed and down to the last few bits of food did the date take a turn. You had been talking to one another about something trivial, what exactly about you could not fully remember, too busy being enthralled with his company when he brought up a topic that had your stomach fill with dread. 

“I still don't understand how you haven't found anyone to settle down with [Name].” Korosensei piped up in a joyful tone, grin curling at the left hand corner. Even if you weren't looking at him you would be able to feel the curiosity radiating from his being. “I understand teaching is your passion and takes up a bulk of your time, but I really do not understand how a wonderful lady like yourself is single.” You tried your hardest not to blush at being called a wonderful lady. Tried.

"Why, are you offering?" You quickly teased with a wink, the instant reddening and spluttering it caused in response worth it's weight in gold. You spoke up again, failing to notice most of the spluttering consisted of the letter y. “But nah, it's like you said, I don't really have the time. Plus, my track record isn't exactly the best right now. Tends to be more unrequited than anything.” You snorted, looking down at the desk with a soft smile. “You should have seen me with the last one. Man, that was probably a show for the kids.”

Korosensei didn't respond, forcing you to tear your gaze away from a particular crack in the desk’s surface and back onto his face. His expression was unreadable, albeit for a second, before he blinked down at you, grin forming into a makeshift smile. “Apologies, you do not have to elaborate if you do not wish to.”

“Nah it's fine.” You grabbed the last remaining dessert on the table, a small pasty, fingers fiddling with an edge allowing a few flakes of it to descend onto the floor before continuing. “It's better to let it out, now that the door is opened at least.” Your free hand settled itself comfortably onto the desk then, fingers curling a little. You swallowed. “She joined as my new assistant about a year back. She was only temporary, given she already had a job, so I didn't expect her to last half as long as the other schmucks they bring in to try and help me. But oh boy, she did, didn't that take me by surprise.” You chuckled, Korosensei followed suit, albeit lighter. “People said we might as well have been the same person, given she had the same animation as I did, the same passion for these kids, y'know? But man, her fashion sense. Yikes. It even made _me_ want to puke.”

You sighed, taking a bite of the pastry whilst focusing your gaze towards the ceiling. It was at least a minute before you continued on, sadness lacing your words.

“She was engaged, that's the real kick in the teeth. Him being a real piece of shit didn't help. She didn't love him but, he was stability, _supposed_ to be stability. But it didn't matter. I knew too late what the feelings really were. I tried my best to fight it, because even if she was that inclined, and she was my friend and--”

“You loved her.” Korosensei interrupted, his voice thick with an emotion you couldn't quite place. You glanced back over at him then, taken aback at how intensely he was looking at you. You swallowed once more, feeling the lump in your throat.

“... Yeah.” If anyone had said that to you before, you would have brushed them off without a moment’s notice. Yet the admittance stumbled out of you so quickly, so easily as Korosensei continued to stare. You had croaked it out, you know you had. “But I knew it couldn't amount to anything. Even if she finally grew a pair and left him. Even if she didn't--” You choked out the final word, finding yourself unable to finish the sentence. It had occurred only a few months before the school year had started, and you had somehow managed to hang on to not thinking about it, especially given everything else that had been occurring. And yet--

“I don't know how it happened.” Your voice sounded strained, even to you. “All I know is that excuse of a man looked worse for wear before I punched him.” The memory of your fist connecting with his nose made you involuntary smile. “I think it was just love anyway. Not, y'know, love love, but anyway--”

The sun was beginning its final descent behind the horizon as silence settled between the two of you, you continuing to finish off the pastry whilst Korosensei remained still, expression shifted back into unreadable.

“So how about you?” He blinked, expression returning as you spoke up, voice thankfully back to normal. It still stung, sure, but you could mope about it as much you pleased when you got home. A date was no place for that kind of thing. “Had many luck with folks or are you more a monster only type of dude? I hear Godzilla is still looking. ~”

Warmth trickled through you from your toes to the top of your head as he chuckled loudly, shaking his head as his grin reached towards his eyes. The warmth only intensified when his hand came to rest upon yours on the table, the pressure of it causing your palm to fall flat. Like before, the texture of him gave you pause, but you paid it no mind.

“No no, no suitors, and Godzilla would rather battle my type than bed them, and I am currently not up for that kind of roleplay.” A single green stripe circled his head when your bark of laughter sounded at his comment, your face reddening a fraction from amusement, along with something else whilst the typical pink tinge adorned his cheeks. His hand pressed into yours a little harder. “My livelihood means romance has been a far distant idea. Courting? Yes. But it was not for a long time until I understood admiration. So love? No--” He trailed off into a mumble then, causing you to miss his final words, although the way he was suddenly softly gazing at you with darkening cheeks gave you some indication, your own cheeks darkening further. 

The room around the two of began to darken as the sun was finally settled for the day, yet he still remained brighter than anything else. Your heart thumped on its own accord in your chest as he suddenly twitched and he _ever_ so slowly began leaning over the table towards you.

Oh.

…

_**Oh.** _

You could feel the muscles in your legs clench as his face came ever so closer, his expression shifted into the unreadable one once again, his mouth pressed into a thin line as he was looking at you with enough force to make you shake. You could feel your face darken more and more the closer he got, no doubt completely red by now. 

_Was he? Goodness, **was** he?_

Your breaths became shallower as his face became mere inches from yours, close enough that you could feel his breath coating your face. You couldn't speak. You couldn't move. You couldn't even think. This was too soon, wasn't it? ... Wasn't it? 

Yet, you managed to ponder as you felt his grip tighten again, why did you want this so badly? 

His face moved a little closer then, inky eyes narrowing in concentration whilst your eyelids began to flutter. His breath was somehow steady, yet you could feel the occasional quake in it. Yours was a shallow mess by now, lungs burning as you failed to feed them properly while your heart continued to rapidly thump into your ribcage. He was close, _so close--_

“There!” Your eyes which had closed on their own accord snapped open at his pleased outburst, frozen solid in shock as he leant back into his original position, grin firmly cemented on his face. His hand had left yours, wriggling beside him. You could faintly feel a stickiness on the corner of your mouth, indicating his other hand had been there. “Sorry, but you had some crumbs there from the pastry and they've been bugging me for ages!” He continued chatting away cheerfully, completely oblivious to your presence again. “I couldn't help myself--” Then he noticed your frozen form, grin drooping as a blue tinge crept onto its corners. “[Name], are you alright?”

Silence. You could see the sweat beads beginning to form. 

“[Name]?”

The surprised and pained shriek emitting from his being as you swiftly kicked him was his response. 

\--

The two of you had decided to wrap it up after that, him grumbling about the pain in a number of his legs and your entire being seemingly thrown off being good enough indicators that the date was well and truly over. On later reflection you would come to realise that as far as first dates go it wasn't _too_ bad. Sure, it could have been better in places, but you had fun regardless, if your heart fluttering despite itself when turning to see Korosensei waiting for you after locking the building up was anything to go by. 

You went to ask why he was still around, but he cut you off with a raised arm, stating that it was too late for you to walk home by yourself, and it would be rude of him not to walk you home no matter what time it was. How sweet. 

You regretted that decision about halfway down the trail when he whined, resulting in another eye roll from you. 

“Koro c'mon, I didn't kick you that badly. Besides, you could have just flown me home.” He was a few steps behind you, and you had to turn to see him, only to sigh when he whined again.

“Yes I could have,” He clipped back, shuffling on his feet with a low whimper. “But then you would be gone too quickly, and I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible before we are thrown back into teaching.” Well, there went your heart again. You sighed again, turning back towards the direction of civilisation. 

“If you're that bothered by it just lean on me for support, dummy.” 

You hadn't meant for the words to escape you, but it was too late now. The noises behind you ceased and you felt yourself still, cursing under your breath. What you expected to happen was that you would turn around and he would be speechless, or even gone. What you _didn't_ expect to happen was to find yourself suddenly pressed against a somewhat squishy being, resulting in a low gasp tearing itself from you while his arm snaked around your shoulder with ease. You could feel the heat from his body, making you blush. He was warm. Too warm. Surprisingly comfortable too. You could just imagine drifting off against him… 

You shook the thoughts away as the two of you began walking once more, albeit slower than before. Surprisingly the complaining had stopped, which made you raise an eyebrow. You looked up towards him then, ready to voice your query when it died in your throat upon seeing him looking straight ahead, seemingly indifferent, although those green stripes firmly in place were a dead giveaway. You narrowed your eyes at this, assuming he didn't notice, but another stripe appearing gave you the impression that he had. 

_Oh, that **little--**_

\--  
Korosensei had pitifully whined when you reached the bottom of the mountain, the city now at your feet, and you had told him this was as far as he could take you. 

“I promised my friends I'd see them before I get ready for tomorrow, besides you can't be seen out as yourself and you need to rest those ‘injured legs’.” You purposefully air quoted those words, his grin becoming sheepish and face instantly shifting pink. He went to protest again, but your pointed look stopped him.

“... Fine.” You could tell he had to force the word out, his expression sullen. A tentacle was pointed right in your face. “But you text me the minute you get there! And on the way there! And--” You gently pushed the tentacle away, effectively cutting him off. 

“Yes mother. ~” The disgusted look he gave you was worth it. “But, hey, thanks again.” You could feel his nonexistent eyebrow quirk. “No really, for the food and the company and everything. It was nice. We should do it again sometime.”

Korosensei hummed, face shifting to his original self, although his grin seemed different somehow. Warmer. “Yes, we definitely should do this again, [Name]. I've had such a lovely time, and I'm glad you have too. Thank you also. ~”

“Bah, no need to thank me.” Brushing his words off with a wave of your hand did you begin to turn, ready to leave until a certain thought crossed your mind, making you gnaw at your bottom lip. Korosensei noticed, seeing his head cocking to the side in confusion out of the corner of your eye before you suddenly turned back to face him, his head and back straightening once more. “But, hey--”

Despite every fibre of nervous being in your body telling you not to do this, you held your arms out towards him, hoping he got the message. He did, thankfully, face pink as his own arms began to outstretch, him dipping down so your arms would be level with his neck. _Yes, perfect._

You tentatively leant forward, the illusion of gifting him with your arms wrapping themselves around his neck clearly still in his mind for he hummed, eyes drooping in the corners. They snapped back into wide circles however, when said arms failed to touch him at all, and instead you moved forward at a speed he did not expect, your lips quickly brushing against his cheek. As quickly as the action was performed did you sprint away from him and down the closest winding street, leaving him a magenta coloured mess attempting to splutter out words whilst you threw another comment over your shoulder. 

“Thanks again Koro! See you tomorrow!”

\--

You collapsed against the bar of Pub Azusa a few minutes after that, panting in an attempt to gain your breath back whilst the loud thud your collision created made Azusa drop yet another glass. Hotaru rushed over at the commotion, eyes wide with worry as you brushed off her concern with a grin, thankful you could blame your red face and frantically beating heart on something else.

For no matter what happened from this point onward, nothing could dampen your spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (please ignore any notes that may be under these ones) 
> 
> Hoo boy, I finally did it. The date stuff was a bit??? Idk. But there's definitely going to be future ones so don't worry about that. Also chapter 8 is written I'm just gonna spend awhile revising/rewriting it. 
> 
> Hotaru doesn't have an official age, but given she's mainly helping at the bar I've made her around 17. 
> 
> And surprise! If you're up to date with the manga/anime then y'all know who reader wanted to previously bang, and I'm sorry. It was a little lacking in detail for me personally but that'll get brought up again at some point. If you don't then it's Aguri who was Class E's teacher before Koro and I'm still so sorry. 
> 
> Reader was implied to have been playing Pocket Camp, solely because I can't stop playing Pocket Camp. And yes I baited with kiss stuff sue me (;
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Feedback etc. is v appreciated <3


	8. Jealousy Time Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Still debating on whether to scrap this and redo it entirely. It's kind of short too so apologies for that and if it doesn't make much sense. 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Bolded words during speech = speaking English.
> 
> Italic sentences are usually reader's thoughts.
> 
> Enjoy!

Your spirits were dampened the very next day. 

The day had started off like any other, you having left bright and early for another fun filled day with the students, an assortment of brightly coloured sheets stacked under one arm. Okay, maybe you were treating the kids like they were a good few years younger than they actually were sometimes, but they didn't seem to mind too much, and who were you to radically change your teaching methods after a routine was in place? 

Azusa had been more excited than you when you delved into the details of your outing with her the previous night, both of you squealing like teenagers receiving a greeting from their aloof crush whilst Hotaru looked on with a shake of her head, presenting the gentleman you had seen a number of times with a fresh glass. He had apparently introduced himself as ‘Mr O’, which was a little strange, but he seemed to pay more than necessary, so he was already in your good books. He was seated a little closer than before during your gleeful explanations, chin resting on his hand with a small smile adorning his face. 

You had left a few hours later in an even cheerier mood, one which had lasted through the night and was still present even now as you tapped your foot, waiting patiently for the cashier to finish ringing up your purchases. Your paycheck was due soon, thankfully, as your debit card was just rejected a few minutes ago, but the cashier was happy enough to put it on your tab. 

“You've been coming here nearly every day since you moved over [Name], don't worry about it.”

Your smile, if anything, widened. Nothing could get you down, with how well everything was going so far. _Too_ well. 

A woman caught your attention as you left the store, leaning against what you assumed was her car and searching through her jacket pockets with a furrowed brow. You noted the cigarette perched between her lips when you looked her over with mild interest. _Damn, you **go** girl._ You continued on your journey when she must have spotted you in the corner of her vision, head snapping upward. 

**“Hello, excuse me?”** You were slightly taken aback when she spoke to you in your native tongue, flipping luscious looking hair over her shoulder. You couldn't help but smile as her accented tone washed over you. **“You wouldn't happen to have a light, would you?”**

 **“Nah, ‘fraid not."** She seemed thankful that you had responded in kind. **"But--”** You jerked a thumb towards the store, her eyes following the action. **“If you got a couple of yen spare, they sell them cheap.”** A genuine smile crossed her features, and you couldn't help but wonder how many people had fallen head over heels for it, or if you would join them if you stared at it for much longer. 

**“Thank you so much! ~”**

Your smile widened. Today was definitely going well. 

\--

“We're gaining a new teacher today.” Were the first words Karasuma offered you when you entered the staff room, dropping your currently unrequired belongings onto the desk with a huff. You quirked an eyebrow as you looked at him, eliciting a small shrug in response. “A Miss Jelavic. I only found out about it yesterday, and did inform you, but thought it would be best to tell you in person since you did not seem to be answering your phone--”

The knowing look you received made you flush, rubbing at your cheek with a sheepish smile. That would explain why your phone had buzzed a number of times yesterday, but checking your phone had been one of the last things on your mind. A quick glance at it did confirm his words, his name shining brightly beneath the missed call icon. Wait a minute--

“Miss?” You spoke up, blinking in surprise as Karasuma nodded. You couldn't help but feel a little weary at the prospect of a woman entering your environment, but the excitement at the idea of it was greater. It would be refreshing, to have another feminine presence around the campus, even if they were there to assassinate your other fellow teacher. Why else would a teacher be joining, after all? Speaking of said fellow teacher… 

“Where is Koro anyway?” Karasuma raised a brow at your sudden change in topic. “He's usually here before anyone, if he can help it, and he'd probably want to check out his latest plaything before they check him.”

“I do not know where he is,” Karasuma offered in response, tone as level-headed as ever as the two of exited the staffroom and began to approach the classroom. “But I did hear commotion from the students, which I assume means he is already in.” He grabbed the door of the classroom, beginning to open it while you shook your head with a small smile. 

“Yeah, figures. He does love to get straight into i--” The door had slid open and the two of you had begun to step through it when your words died in the back of your throat, every occupant of the room turning to stare at you with wide eyes whilst the two of you could only do the same back, only your eyes weren't entirely focused on them. Oh no. They were focused somewhere else entirely. 

For there, at the centre of the room, were a familiar pair of blue eyes staring straight back at you. 

\--

It was at approximately 9:32am that your spirits dampened. 

The woman you had encountered earlier was not only the new teacher, a Miss Irina Jelavic, but she also, and more importantly in your mind, was currently pressing into Korosensei’s right side, arms wrapped loosely around his form. You pretended not to notice the way your skin prickled at the sight, nor how Korosensei seemed to be enjoying the attention, if his brightly coloured face was anything to go by. _Why was he looking at her like that?_ The thought bitterly crossed your mind as he blazingly stared at her, failing to notice where exactly he was actually staring. _He never stared at **you** like that._

Thankfully the students seemed to mirror your look of distaste, which only intensified when it was revealed she would be sharing your English lessons. English lessons were, given how much the teaching schedule had already shifted, the one lesson you didn't currently share. Korosensei offered assistance once in a while, but mainly left you to it. So this, this--

“She can take today's lesson then.” Your clipped tone gave everyone pause. Korosensei even managed to tear his gaze away from Irina, taking you in as though he hadn't even been aware of your existence up until that moment. He probably hadn't. You didn't care at this point, wanting nothing more than to leave this classroom and its contents behind, the joy from yesterday completely gone. 

She was doing it on purpose. You knew that, from the way she kept giggling over her own words, fluttering her eyelashes as he did nothing but sheepishly rub his head in return, face shining with a brightness you knew all too well. She was there to kill him. Nothing more, nothing less. She was using her womanly charms in an attempt to lower his guard, to make him tumble over his own heart and fall straight onto her knife. You knew that, and yet--

\--

“You're so cute when you're jealous, [Name]-san!” Karma’s mocking tone shook you from your dark thoughts, raising your head from the desk with a grumble.

You had spent the entire morning in the staffroom, ignoring Karasuma’s occasional worried glance in your direction whilst you flicked random items at the wall with a heavy set frown. You hated feeling like this, waves of unrequired envy filling your lungs until it felt like you couldn't breathe. It was a ploy to kill him. She wasn't really interested in him. Yet the smug look she gave you as you left threw your already confused thoughts into a spin. Korosensei was smart, he would know when he was getting played, wouldn't he? ... _Wouldn't he?_

Despite his amazing skills with the students, Korosensei was helpless when it came to everything else. He could barely walk down the corridor without tripping over his own feet, squeaking in panic and blaming it on the floor. He had even said himself that dating wasn't something he regularly dealt with, and given his current situation it was doubtful that many opportunities like this were thrust upon him. Of course he would welcome the attention with open tentacles. Of course he would blindly accept the soft laughter, adoring gazes and physical contact happily. 

It wasn't like he saw anything in you either, you had bitterly concluded halfway through your item throwing, Karasuma having left a little while ago to conduct a lesson. He was just being nice, his words of encouragement no doubt attempts to boost your confidence. Korosensei’s passion was making sure everyone could see their true worth. That was all he was doing. He made contact out of comfort. He got close to you to remove crumbs from your mouth the day before, and not for any other purpose. It was all just him being his usual cheerful, helpful self. You were simply misreading situations, latching onto whatever false hope straws you could in an attempt to have your feelings supported. It was like Aguri all over again. 

“I ain't jealous Karma.” Your voice had to be dragged out of you, your head feeling heavy as you leveled the smirking boy with a weak glare. You were currently covering homeroom, Korosensei having nipped out to buy Irina some tea for her lesson, which was due to take place soon. _He bought you four trays of desserts [Name], stop being petty and thinking he doesn't care._

 _Yeah, because you suggested food to accompany your marking get together._ Your head was really starting to pound now.

“Yeah come on Karma.” Nakamura quipped, turning to face him with a pointed look. “Like anyone would be interested in an octopus man.”

You were interested, and so was the well endowed flirtatious woman who could speak multiple languages and was skilled and well travelled and she wasn't really interested and--

“I'm not jealous.” You grumbled again, albeit lighter, failing to notice the class share knowing looks, their faces splitting into a variety of smiles. “I ain't, and even if I was, it wouldn't make a difference.”

\--

You spent the remainder of the day after homeroom nestled against a tree off to the side of the campus, watching the world go by around you with mild interest. Overhearing the students complain about Irina’s terrible lesson warmed your spirits, if only a little, and witnessing her revert back into the woman you had met outside of the store once Korosensei sped off again warmed you further. So it was all just a ruse in an attempt to assassinate him. You really did hate your overactive brain sometimes. 

Where was the [Name] from the beginning of the year? Even part of the one from yesterday? You had been reverted back into a nervous wreck second guessing yourself all because you thought some creature who was going to destroy the world was cute, and all because some woman had come along and stolen his attention from you. You felt like a child who had their last present stolen out from underneath them. 

The way he had been doting on her all day still gave you pause, but you now brushed the thoughts to the side. You had seen enough of Korosensei’s magazine collection to know that he had a severe weak spot for women, so of _course_ he was going to answer one’s beck and call if they threw themselves at him. You couldn't help the hollow laugh that left you. Boy, you really _were_ hopeless at times. 

Your mood morphed into sheer frustration when you witnessed Irina suddenly plant a larger than necessary kiss upon Nagisa’s lips, causing the boy to completely freeze. “Hey!” You shot up, practically sprinting towards them while your sudden outburst was enough to cause Irina to stop. “The fuck do you think you're doing? You can't go around kissing underaged kids, Irina.”

 **“Just showing the class a point, [Name].”** Her eyes slid over to your form, the students having moved out of the way to allow you to approach her with ease before moving back into place, effectively encircling the two of you. Three, if you counted Nagisa who was currently slumped over with his eyes glazed over in shock. **“And don't worry, I won't be smooching boys for long, but maybe an octopus if I'm lucky.”** False laughter sounded from her as she winked, smug look from earlier in the day present once more as you felt your eyelid twitch at her obvious bait. **“Bet you wish it was you doing the smooching instead, huh?”**

 **“Oh no, since I've already done that.”** Technically it was only a kiss on the cheek that you had solely done in the heat of the moment and ran away afterwards, but she didn't need to know that. Besides, the shocked expression it caused was more than worth it. **“And I didn't need to basically have my tits spill out of my top to do it either.”**

**“Listen here, you b--”**

“I brought the tea, Irina-kun. ~”

Korosensei’s sudden arrival, if anything, caused the tension to thicken until the air itself seemed to still around you. His grin faltered as he took in the sight, blinking twice before Irina quickly turned, your surprise no doubt evident upon your face as she clasped her hands together, smiling widely. 

“Thank you _so much_ Korosensei. ~” The words dripped from her mouth like honey, which only made Korosensei turn pink whilst your eyes narrowed. The way she could instantly turn on the charm factor almost impressed you. Almost. “You really _are_ as fast as they say! Straight from the source too,” She giggled, a light and airy tone. “You really are amazing.”

“W-Well,” Korosensei rubbed the back of his neck, grin becoming a little crooked. “It was nothing, truly.”

“I think I'm gonna puke.” You mumbled in retaliation, earning a few giggles from the class whilst Korosensei, once again, seemed to finally notice your presence. It was worth its weight in gold, far more valuable than Irina’s glare ever would be. The pink shifted into the one you were all too familiar with, although you did note the lightest shade of blue that accompanied it, although with his grin becoming fully lopsided. The way he mouthed your name made your insides want to melt. How long had his eyes been shining like that? 

“Korosensei. ~” Well, there went that moment, his attention instantly snapping back to Irina with a certain droop to his grin that made you skin prickle once more whilst you rolled your eyes at his antics, turning your attention away from the scene and heading back towards the classroom. “Can you meet me after class? I've got something I'd like to show you, in private. ~”

You could feel the eyes boring into the back of your skull, and you could have sworn you heard a familiar murmur of _Korosensei and [Last Name], sitting in a tree~_ follow you as you walked away, catching Karasuma glancing at you from behind one of the building's windows. She was an assassin sent to kill him, her target. That was all. She was doing her job. 

“... I would love to. ~”

_**And she would fail.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (please ignore any notes that appear below these ones) 
> 
> I was originally going to make this one long chapter, but I ran out of steam halfway so settled on a two parter. Besides, who doesn't love a little bit of drama? Idk.
> 
> Reader is all over the place because she knows Irina isn't really interested but she can't help but doubt herself, like question the what ifs and let doubt make her second guess everything. I've been in that state of mind, I live in that state of mind, and it sucks. But she'll be back to her old self soon dw. 
> 
> (Irina and reader are totally gonna end up besties don't even deny it) 
> 
> Sorry again if it's a little repetitive or confusing etc. Like I said I might just scrap it and rewrite it.
> 
> Thanks for reading and any comments are v appreciated!


	9. Jealousy Time Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's part 2. Maybe worse than part 1 idk. I haven't really enjoyed either of these chapters but heyo feedback is always appreciated ~ 
> 
> I nearly dropped my Koro mug writing this. Nearly gave myself a damn breakdown (breakdown).
> 
> Thanks again for all the hits and the like! Whether you get in touch or not I love you all. Hopefully I'll thank you with a decent sized chapter next time, heh. 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Words bolded = speaking in English
> 
> Enjoy!

She failed. 

Korosensei seemed to fly through his lesson at a pace you had not seen before, scribbling on the blackboard with such intensity it caused the board itself to crack slightly. 

“Hey can you not do that?” You had grumbled out, crossing your leg over the other whilst trying to ignore one of his clones near you flickering a lot more than usual. “Main building doesn't cover any costs up here and I ain't forking out for another blackboard.”

He either didn't hear your remark or chose to ignore it, continuing to scribble away, although a few students did send you a look of reassurance. The man seemed intent on getting his lesson completed as soon as possible, no doubt brimming with anticipation at whatever Irina had in store for him. You, as well as the students, were also curious as to what exactly she was planning for her assassination attempt, although you had the sneaking suspicion Korosensei had completely forgotten about that part of his livelihood. 

You sighed, stretching an arm high above your head before looking out of the window, the sight which you were greeted with making you pause. Three heavily set men were by the equipment shed, and you could see Irina talking with them as they shuffled thick bags off of their shoulders. One of them was holding onto a gun as though his life depended on it, which in some ways it did. So this was her big plan, huh? As they entered the shed you managed to get a better look at their weapons, and you couldn't help but snort.

Real guns? Looks like Irina didn't do her homework. ~

“I see that [Name]-san has a question, well go on, don't be shy. ~” Korosensei’s mocking tone made your head whip around, the speed of the action earning yourself a click and a wince. A number of green stripes covering his face and sniggering from the students caused you to raise a brow in confusion. It was only when the stripes darkened and his grin twitched upward did you remember your arm dangling above you, making you look like a student eager for teacher's approval.

You quickly lowered said digit, earning yourself the sound of more laughter and another stripe forming. _Oh, so **that's** how it was going to be?_

“Uh yeah, sir?” More laughter, only this time in your favour. Jackpot. “I'd like to be excused from this lesson now, please?”

“Oh how unfortunate!” He put a tentacle to his forehead, feigning shock. “Why would you ever wished to be excused? Are you sick?”

“Nah, but I'm going to be later, so I need to go grab a bucket…” You grinned before shifting into a terrible attempt at Irina’s ‘friendly’ voice. “For the after class time. ~” 

The entire classroom erupted at laughter at this, doubling as you threw an exaggerated wink in at the end for good measure. _Jealous_ , you heard Karma hiss out amongst the chaos, and you hoped, hoped Korosensei didn't hear it, but unfortunately for you one of his clones just happened to begin leaning over Karma’s desk to check his progress, narrowly avoiding his blade. It stiffened, along with the rest of them, and Korosensei’s face completely drained of colour. Your heart sank. 

_Jealous._ He mouthed the word as if a mirror image, that unreadable expression from yesterday having returned full force. Thankfully no one else seemed to have noticed, yet, but it didn't stop you from sliding down your seat a fraction, face flushed with embarrassment. Karma noticed, however, if his high laughter was anything to go by. Curse that boy and his ability to still get under your skin. 

“Karma I am not and stop saying I am I will literally end you is he still looking why is he still looking _stop looking--_ ” Your words came out in a panicked whisper, clumping together into unintelligible nonsense the more you churned out. It didn't help the situation, not one bit. If anything, it simply made Korosensei’s thinly pressed lip tighten further. Great. 

The sooner this lesson was over with, the better.

\--

Everyone watched with baited breath as Irina lead Korosensei to the equipment shed by the hand, the two of them smiling and laughing together. They seemed innocent enough, a couple of individuals oblivious to the world, but you all knew better. The way Irina had looked at you upon descending the steps made it even clearer to you, purposely bumping into your side with her leg as she passed. 

So here you all were, the students undergoing another training session with Karasuma whilst you sat upon the rickety steps, drumming your fingers against your thigh with the occasional glance towards the shed. Any minute now, the blonde assassin’s plan would unfold, if it wasn't already. You could only imagine what she was doing in there to him, what womanly charms she was throwing at him as she pressed against him, how far she would go--

A flurry of gunshots erupting from the shed snapped you from your thoughts, the entire class turning towards the sound, a number jumping in surprise from the sudden burst of bullets sounding. Karasuma glanced over at you, expression indifferent before smirking as you mouthed ‘real guns’ to him. Irina _really_ should have done her homework. 

The gunfire ended as quickly as it came, and silence spanned on for a few moments, causing the students to become more agitated. You, however, were completely placid. Korosensei was fine, even if the bullets were made of the required anti material, he could move at a ridiculous speed. Yet, with the reassuring thoughts still came the underlying pin of doubt. 

You _were_ drawn from your calm aura, however, when a blood curdling scream rang out, and even Karasuma was startled at how quickly you leapt to your feet and ran towards the source of said scream. Sure, Irina hadn't made a great impression on you or the class, but she was an assassin, there to simply do the job and leave with the reward. She was an assassin, with Korosensei as her target, and she still wasn't technically registered as a teacher. He could retaliate. 

“Don't make me kick this door down you slimy fucker!” Your shouting joined the shrieks from inside the shed as you pounded on the door with your fist, the vibrations and pitch of every sound causing your eardrums to ache. You knew your somewhat empty threat would not have an effective impact, but the shrieks did lessen. You noticed a few students had also rushed over to assess the commotion, Sugino and Nagisa leading the pack. “C'mon I know she's a bit dumb and fucked up but you're on my campus and I ain't going to tolera--”

The door suddenly sliding over caught you off guard, an undignified squeak of surprise leaving you as you stumbled backwards. Another squeak of surprise sounded as Irina stumbled into the doorway, adorned in an old gym outfit you kept in there for just in case, her hair tied up in a ponytail with her face frozen in an expression you could not place. You noted the faintest trail of dribble upon her chin as she fell onto her knees and fell forward, emitting a shameful whine. 

“I-I thought I, that he, but he--” She mumbled into the gravel whilst Korosensei’s form encased the entire doorway, his shadow casting over you both in a looming fashion. You could feel the shudder shift down every vertebrae. It only grew stronger as his face came fully into view, eyes twinkling with a mirth you did not wish to fully acknowledge, edges of his grin nestled beneath his eyes, green stripes shining brightly in the darkness. He caught your gaze, and the stripes brightened. The tone he adopted was teasing, and you knew no matter what he had said the words were intended for you only.

“Still jealous, [Name]? ~”

You did the only thing your mind summarised to be the wisest thing to do at that point. You passed out. 

\--

You don't remember exactly when you came around, but you were thankful to find yourself situated upon two chairs in the faculty room, feet dangling helplessly off the end of one whilst your head felt strangely cushioned. You lifted yourself into a seated position slowly, grumbling with furrowed eyebrows as you cast a tired glance across the room, only to be greeted by three faces staring back at you. 

Karasuma was seated closest to the window, laptop resting on the desk in front of him, eyes lightly glistening with concern, whilst Korosensei was stood beside the window, hands wringing together with a worried expression, although it did lessen upon seeing you sit up, cheeks forming a delicate pink. Your heart fluttered on its own accord upon seeing it. What you didn't expect, however, was to see Irina seated in the other chair of the room, usual attire in place with a drink clasped in her hands, the steam from it gently rising towards the ceiling. Her eyebrow raised upon seeing your confused expression. 

“Shame to see you back amongst the living.” She quipped, taking a sip of her drink. The scent of it catching your nostrils confirmed it was one of the teas Korosensei had brought her earlier. “Karasuma here just finished finalising my paperwork for teaching, and I assume you have questions I cannot be bothered to answer.”

“Not really,” You replied with a shrug, fluffing what you had discovered to be a pillow underneath you whilst pointedly ignoring the confused expressions sent your way. “I would, usually, but if this year has taught me anything it's just to roll with it. Can't be doing with my head spinning further.” You removed your legs from the seat, gesturing towards it but Korosensei merely shook his head, grin small upon his face. 

“So teacher eh? All official now?” Irina blinked, and you continued with a small smirk. **“I hope your English is better than your murder attempts.”**

 **“Excuse me?!”** She barked, slamming her drink down with enough force the table shook, earning her a pointed glare from Karasuma. **“My English is just fine! Maybe even better than yours.”**

 **“Bitch _please_ ,”** You scoffed, flicking a wrist at her. **“English is the only language I can speak efficiently. My Japanese sounds like it's been dragged through a washing machine in an electrical storm.”**

**“The _fuck_ does that mean--”**

**“I don't know, but the point is you gotta abide by my rules."** You jabbed a thumb to your chest a little too hard, wincing a fraction, oblivious to the worried glance you received. **“Chairman might be in charge overall, but the Old Campus is _my_ domain. So play nice, don't try to shag any of the students, and we'll get along _just_ fine."**

 **“And what did you mean by dumb?”** Irina rose to her feet, completely ignoring your speech. **“I'll have you know--”**

**“Anyone with half a brain would have listened to the advice given by the class about their target.”** Your tone was clipped as you levelled her heated gaze with your own. **“For starters they would, y'know, use the correct bullets.** Eh, _bitch_? ~” 

You purposely switched back into Japanese for the final part of your statement, smirk widening as her eyelid twitched. You knew the correct pronunciation of her name, yet the letters sounded so similar in this language, how could you resist? She went to respond, finger raising ready to point when you both paused as a new voice entered the fray.

**“Enough,”** Karasuma grunted, eyes fixed back onto his laptop since he realised you were okay, whilst Korosensei wore a sheepish expression. You began to wonder how much of the conversation he really had understood-- “The two of you are going to be working together from now on. Irina, you can learn an awful lot from [Name]’s teaching, and [Name], you could learn a lot from Irina." 

“On what?” A light chuckle escaped you, sending the woman in question a look filled with mockery. “What noises are best to make while my boob pops out?”

Her shrieks could have probably been heard for miles around.

\--

“I never took you for the jealous type, [Name]. ~” 

The sun was gradually lowering in the sky now, faintly peaking above the trees that surrounded you as you descended the mountain. Karasuma and Irina had already left, the former having to physically drag her out by the collar before she threw another item towards you. The faculty room had become a mess due to her explosive episode after your words, much to your chagrin. Korosensei had surprisingly opted to stay behind to help you tidy up, which meant the job was completed in no time at all. He also offered to walk you back down the mountainside in case you were ‘sprung upon by an angry blonde’, but you knew better. Still, you were touched. 

Apart from that comment he had been relatively quiet for your journey, so to have him speak up now made you tilt your head to the side in confusion, although you registered his words with a scoff. “I wasn't jealous.” You didn't need to look at him to know he didn't believe you. You could feel his disbelieving gaze from here. 

“... Okay maybe a little.” You mumbled out after a few more minutes of silence, the opening of the mountain path visible in the distance now. “And I knew it was all for show and _should_ have known but I guess I got a little caught up in myself.” You risked taking a glance in his direction, only to blink in surprise upon seeing him a few paces back, neutral expression in place. He seemed to come around when he noticed you staring, however. “So, yeah. I'm only human after all. Can we not make a big deal out of th--" 

" I should have known from the start! You're so cute when you're jealous! ~” Korosensei sang out before you had a chance to finish, clapping his hands together loudly whilst his face positively shone. You couldn't help but blanch. 

“I wasn't j-jealous.” _Ah shit._ You cursed yourself for stumbling over your own lie, watching in horror as it only made him brighten further. He was only pink for now, but you could see the green stripes beginning to take form. 

“Oh [Name],” One had fully formed now. “But you have nothing to fear. I only have eyes for one, after all. ~" Wait, did he mean, did he really mean… 

“And I'm sure she's a lovely swimsuit model in your latest edition.” He spluttered a little, expression falting. You could always rely on a light jab to help restore your mood, even if your cheeks were starting to stain crimson. “But it's time for us to part ways anyway, the clearing is right up ahead and I can still see people moving about.” You went to turn back around but paused, catching both of you by surprise as you chose instead to step closer to him. “Hey, how did I get to the staffroom anyway?” 

“Oh, Karasuma carried you there.” Was that a hint of bitterness you heard in his tone? No, it couldn't have been. “I wanted to, but I feared if I did I--” Korosensei paused, raking a quick glance over you. His face darkened immensely. “I-I--" 

“I'll have to thank him then, I guess.” You cut him off, deeming it for the best course of action for his spluttering form and your own vibrant cheeks. “And I guess I should apologise to Irina too. She was just doing her job, and I was a little too harsh on her.” 

“Jealous. ~” 

You scoffed again, folding your arms. “Sorry for being insecure about some curved as fuck woman showing up and snatching away my date.” The word tumbled from your lips before you could stop it, eyes widening a fraction. Korosensei only seemed to darken slightly, thankfully. 

“You have nothing to be insecure about, [Name]. I could go on for days about how you do not.” Your face, if anything, darkened. “And I am sorry. I should have said something.” His grin twitched upward, and a singular stripe finally formed upon his forehead. “Plus, you are rather cute when you're jealous." 

On later reflection, you would still have no idea where your sudden boost of confidence came from, but you praised wherever it came from regardless. “Well you're just cute in general.” You offered in return, the smallest of smirks tugging at your lips. “So there. ~” 

“Oho, careful now [Name],” His hand came to rest on your lower back, carefully turning you around and pushing you forward. His voice sounded from beside you now, the only indicator you needed that he had moved closer. “We both know you would lose this back and forth, and I'd rather get you home before sunset.” 

“Sounds like someone can't take the challenge.” The smirk was coating your mouth now, and the clearing to civilisation seemed only a few steps away. “Afraid to handle the heat." 

“[Name], my dear.” That made you stop in your tracks, twisting your head to face him. He was looking down at you, eyes sparkling and an all too familiar pink beneath them. His grin was smaller now, and the warmth you felt from it made your face light up once again. “I would happily exchange in such activities, but now is not the time or place. Friday evening seems more acceptable, if you are available?" 

“S-Sure,” The complete change in his attitude had you almost starstruck, and the close proximity did little to help still your heart. His hand still being on your lower back didn't help the situation either. “I'd love to.” 

His grin twitched upward, hand removing itself from your being whilst you mourned the lack of contact. You opened your mouth, ready to say goodbye when your jaw fell slack as Korosensei leant down and pressed his teeth to your forehead. You couldn't help the gasp that escaped you as he nervously hummed, nuzzling your flesh for a moment before pulling back, eyeing your shocked, flushed expression with a nervous grin, his own face a mixture of tones. You were certain your eyes were going to pop out. 

“It's a date then! See you tomorrow [Name].” His voice sounded a little shaky. “Safe journey home. ~" 

Korosensei departed before you could even think about formulating a response, your jaw finally snapping shut as the gust of wind he had created made your skin prickle. You were shaking, you knew you were, while your face no doubt resembled a family of tomatoes. Your ribcage was rattling with how loudly your heart was beating within it. 

“... You t-too." 

That octopus was going to be the death of you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (please ignore any notes that may appear under these ones) 
> 
> Reader kissed Koro like a day ago it's only fair he returns the favour. ~ Also another date, yay! I have no idea what they're gonna do for it but there's a few chapter buffers before then. Also Irina is my babe I love her so much and I hope I'm doing her and everyone enough justice. 
> 
> I'm definitely slowing down with these, not only due to health but motivation sadly. I cracked too many out too fast and my writing feels like it's suffering for it nowadays. Alas.
> 
> Sorry again for any repetition/mistakes and thanks for reading! Comments are v appreciated ~


	10. Time To Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 200+ hits! Thank you all so much! It really means a lot to me to know people are 
> 
> Chapters are going at a slower pace for my own convenience. So this is a bit more filler so sorry about that. I'll have Koro and reader actually doing stuff eventually I promise. 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Words in bold during speech = speaking English. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“ **You are incredible in bed.** Repeat that sentence clearly.”

A chorus of the sentence in broken English sounded throughout the rundown room, the provider of the sentence offering a hum of approval in response whilst you shook your head. 

It had been two days since Irina waltzed into the hectic environment of the Old Campus, stirring up yet another storm in her wake. Her assassination skills in the seduction field were supposedly next to none, but that was before she encountered a being intent on destroying the world and knew your next move before you even did. The wake up call she received in response was startling, but thankfully she had decided to stick around and actually perform teaching duties as shown in her contract. It meant the students gained insight from an actual assassin, and Korosensei had someone else to keep him on his metaphorical toes. Overall, it was a bonus. 

A bonus to everyone, but you. 

You were still skeptical of the woman, and there seemed to be an air of animosity between you. You had not interacted verbally since your somewhat heated exchange, but you had shared a number of looks, the latest being a very pointed stare from her as you laughed at the students referring to her rather affectionately as ‘Bitch-sensei’. She ought to be thankful she was even honoured with a honorific at the end. 

The urge to apologise to her only grew as the days had gone on, you feeling as though the opportunity was slipping further through your fingers the longer you left it for. Irina was simply doing her job that day, and the fact that she had actually bothered to stay and help was rather touching. Still, the attitude she had been bestowing upon you made you question whether you should bother to take the higher ground and apologise at all. Curse you finally rutting heads with someone of equal stubbornness. 

_“Just punch her in the throat then make out with her to relieve the obvious frustrations and sexual tension.”_ Azusa had wisely suggested when you brought the topic up the night she had arrived, after the two of you squealed once more at your success of securing a second date, the memory making you snort. 

Eyes flickering across the class, their attention focused entirely on the blonde teaching them, you finally decided there and then to take the higher ground, even if it came to bite you in the ass someday. 

\--

“Irina you can't _always_ refer back to sex.” You spoke with a sigh, closing the staffroom door behind you. The lesson had ended a few minutes ago, the students currently enjoying their lunch break whilst the two of you had decided to return to the sanctity of the faculty room. It was the first time either of you had spoken since Monday, your voice suddenly sounding surprising Irina, if her shoulders tensing and the suspicious look she offered you as she sat down were anything to go by. Even Korosensei, who you noted had opted to remain in the staffroom to mark tests instead of outside like usual offered you a curious glance. You shrugged in response, shuffling over to the kettle as you did so. “I'm just saying, I get it really helps and stuff but I'm pretty sure you did more than just fuck your targets.”

“Why are you suddenly speaking to me?” Irina clipped back, eyes narrowing further as her gaze followed you across the room. So much for building up to the point. “And in Japanese no less. What, are you going to mock me in both languages now?” She finished with a scoff, flicking golden locks over her shoulder. 

“Hey I can go back into English if you want. Just figured we could both do with building up our skills in it.” Thankfully the kettle was already half full, so you merely had to press its switch down before turning around to face your ‘audience’, crossing your arms as you did so. “But no, I'm speaking to you because we need to if we're going to get along, and I want to say I'm sorry now.”

She opened her mouth, ready to retaliate, but you raised your hand, effectively cutting her off before she had even begun. “Listen, listen, I am sorry, and if I don't say it now then too much time will have passed and it'd be awkward and feel forced and that's not fair on anyone. So I'm sorry, truly.” The whistling of the kettle began to rise in pitch, and you allowed it to do so for a few moments before it settled down and continued to speak. “You were just doing your job, and maybe we both came in a little too hotly.” You rubbed the back of your head, anxiety beginning to nibble at your stomach. 

“... And maybe I was a little pissed off at someone new coming in, and that I'd have to share more of my lessons and possessions and get to spend less time doing what I love. Heck,” You jabbed a thumb towards Korosensei, failing to notice his prideful appearance. “I did exactly the same thing to slimeball over there, and I might have done the same to Karasuma if he wasn't so damn intimidating.”

Silence settled upon the room as you finished speaking, turning to prepare your drink whilst allowing Irina time to digest your words. It wasn't until you had prepared your drink and gingerly settled into the seat next to hers that she spoke up, her light tone giving you pause. 

“I accept your apology, and I offer my own in return.” Her eyes seemed to focus on the bridge of your nose, avoiding direct eye contact whilst she emitted a sigh of her own. “I definitely came into this thinking it would be over in a flash, but I was proven wrong. I definitely didn't think I would encounter someone so feisty either.” 

The snort you emitted even took you by surprise, the sound only deepening at the eyelid twitch it gained.   
“Sorry, but did you say feisty? Me? Feisty?” 

It was Irina’s turn to snort now, flickering her wrist towards you whist she finally seemed to make eye contact. Cerulean eyes met yours with confidence, brimming with a softness you could not quite place.

“Of course you are! They informed me of another teacher but never went into details of how much spunk she carried, and you do, [Name].” She carried on with a raised eyebrow, as though sensing you were ready to cut her off. “You have this real energy about you, this passion that's hard to come by. I guess, in a way, I was intimidated by it, hence why I kept being so, well, bitchy.” The word left her with a wince, her nose also scrunching up slightly. _Oh no. She's adorable._

You couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped you, all of the tension seemingly melted away between the two of you now. You took a sip of your drink with a light chuckle. “And I guess I _was_ intimidated by your 'assets' .”

“I don't see why, yours are ridiculously impressive!” You were certain you had dropped your cup at that, the feeling of ceramic sliding against your palm registering before it was resting safely on the desk beside you, making you blink. A quick glance at the other side of the room put any suspicions to rest, Korosensei looking down at the sheets in front of him with an indifferent expression. Irina turned to face him, causing him to look upward once more. “Doesn't she, Korosensei?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes--” It was then that he turned his attention to you, eyes carting themselves over your form for longer than necessary, the intensity in his gaze causing your face to heat up. His usual pink hue seemed darker almost, and his dreamy sigh did little to help your now thrumming heart. Said heart momentarily stopped as he spoke up again, the underlying heavy lilt in had adopted impossible to ignore. “ _Very_ nice.”

“Pervert.” 

Irina and you muttered the word at the same time, eliciting a shared glance of surprise whilst Korosensei sputtered, shoving his face into pieces of paper as he became bright red. You laughed then, Irina doing the same, and after a shared weary smile you both looked away, Irina beginning to flick through her phone whilst you took another sip of your drink. It would still take some time before the two of you became close, but the first step towards building an efficient relationship had been taken, which you were thankful for. Hopefully it could lead into something, given how interesting Irina really seemed, and hopefully it was the same for her. Either way, you at least had one more ally through this treacherous academic year. 

“[Name]?” Korosensei’s mumble took you aback, and you tilted your head in his direction enough to see him remove a sheet of paper from his face with a sheepish grin. “Forgive me but, did you say earlier you didn't with Karasuma because he intimates you?” Was that, blue, now smudging his face? “I'm capable of destroying the entire planet. Do I not intimate you?”

“Karasuma’s a higher up for the MOD, and you once screamed because you saw a ladybird.”

Irina’s laughter echoed through the hallway as Korosensei began to splutter once more, jabbing an accusatory finger at you whilst you sported a teasing grin. 

\--

Thankfully, Irina did seem to find you as interesting as you did her, if the animated talks you shared during the rest of the day and the day after were anything to go by. You should have apologised to her sooner if this was the response you would have received. 

The two of you had exchanged numbers as the lunch period had ended, you heading off to teach a lesson while she went away to plan more assassination attempts and you had been exchanging messages as if you had been friends for years. You were more than happy with this arrangement, given how difficult it was to formulate long standing bonds outside of work hours and your lack of desire to constantly socialise, meaning Azusa and Hotaru were your only real points of contact with normalcy. You also summarised Irina did not have a lot of close bonds either, given her livelihood, so was more than happy to grasp at the opportunity with both hands when it arose. It was nice. 

The tension was still there, to a degree, but you still felt the same jab of inferiority when witnessing Korosensei teach every so often, so assumed it would eventually lessen and pass. She was another teacher eating into your timetable, after all. Speaking of timetables--

You knew he was there before you bothered to open the door, the atmosphere surrounding the faculty room dense enough to cut through steel as you approached it at the end of Friday's morning lessons, the pleased hum you were ready to emit dying on your vocal chords. Even after all these years you couldn't help but gulp, light shivers caressing your back with a sweat. 

Korosensei sulking in the corner with a red tinted face gave you slight pause as you opened the door, him abruptly standing straight with a yelp and a head turn as you did so. His expression became one of embarrassment whilst Irina and Karasuma offered you somewhat nervous glances. You paid them no heed, turning to close the door when a light tuff of blue on the other side made you pause. Nagisa simply blinked back at you, eyes widening further as you winked, closing the door just enough so he could still hear everything clearly. Ensuring said portion of the open doorway wasn't visible you turned back around, eyes meeting with the devil's himself. 

“Principal Asano!” Your mock friendly tone made your fellow teachers still, sharing a look as you continued on. “What do I owe the pleasure? Here to check up on little old me and my new faculty?”

“Why yes I am, [Name].” Asano’s equally mock friendly tone following your own made Karasuma’s eyebrows rise to his hairline whilst Korosensei began to visibly sweat, hands starting to wring together. Asano crossed one leg over the other with a flourish. “But I am also here to ensure there is not a repeat of last year, as I have already informed your fellow faculty members.”

“Ah, that time of year already? ~” You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, feeling a familiar bubble of annoyance settle in your stomach. You knew full well what time of year it was, the two of you having danced this very dance ever since you arrived. Asano rose from the seat with ease, his long strides meaning he was in front of you in a matter of seconds. Another chuckle sounded.

“Yes [Name], that time of year again, but we both know you already knew that.” The pretend friendliness to his voice was all but gone, however, and you could feel all eyes on the two of you as his mouth lifted slightly in one corner. “As with previous years, I am going to have to inform you not to pull any _stunts_ involving improving the Class E grades.”

“Yeah well sorry Asano but we both know that isn't happening.” Your voice was cool as you spoke, all efforts to maintain an amicable atmosphere all but gone as he seemed to inch closer. “Just like last year and the years before, I ain't stepping down my efforts just because you have some agenda to push. Besides, all it did last year was push your main lot further, so what's the problem?”

“The problem, [Name]-san.” Asano’s words fell coldly from between his lips, causing even Karasuma to take a small step backwards. “Is that your students last year managed to score high enough to reenter the main building, which caused repercussions all around. I do not want a repeat of that. You know the place of your students.” He was so close now that is nose brushed against yours, and you pretended not to notice Irina’s startled gasp. Whether it was from his closeness or how you were maintaining his stare, you did not know. “This may be your building, but it is still _my_ school, and rules must be followed. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal clear, _sir_.” You bit back, eyes wavering a fraction as the powerful scent of his cologne bristled your nostrils. You maintained the eye contact and lack of distance for what seemed an eternity before he stepped back, straightening his tie with a tired smile.

“Well then!” There it was, the unassuming voice that drew you into a false sense of security. “I must head back to my office now, tests to assess and all that. It was lovely to catch up with you all.” He turned to bow his head slightly at everyone present before stepping past you with ease, opening the door fully before throwing a glance over his shoulder, familiar smile in place. “Oh, and one more thing. Think fast, Korosensei.” He threw something over his shoulder towards the man in question then, a metallic looking object, and you could only look on in horror as Korosensei squeaked in an undignified fashion before collapsing onto the floor, a number of his tentacles entangled in the device with a look of concentration creasing his brow. 

It-- It was embarrassing. Asano’s smile widened. 

“Farewell. ~” With that he departed, and you didn't bother to listen to his footsteps echo down the hallway before slamming the door shut, crossing your arms with a huff. 

“What a pr--”

**“Did you two used to shag or something?”** Irina piped up, causing everyone to still once more. You cast a wide-eyed look her way, her own eyes shining with curiosity whilst you noted a faint line of sheen above her upper lip. You caught Korosensei staring at you with the same intensity as the other day, making you involuntarily squirm. It was then you remembered with a skipped heartbeat that every occupant of the room understood English. 

“Fuck no!” You hissed out after probably too long, hoping your shock at the sudden question wasn't misunderstood for something else. “I'd rather shove a flamethrower through my womb.”

“Gross.” Irina tutted before clapping her hands together, seemingly oblivious to the still underlying tension in the room. The intense stare upon you did not lessen either. “And I was just asking! You two had this weird vibe going on, that's all.”

“You two did seem rather placid with each other.” Karasuma spoke up, gaze level as you made contact. The look you were receiving from Korosensei, if anything, grew heavier. You sighed.

“Look I don't get it either.” You admitted, scratching your ear absentmindedly. “The Principal is a fucking enigma wrapped in a puzzle book. I guess the fact I didn't let my spine cave in from instantly bending over backwards for him like every other teacher gave him some kind of respect? If you can even call it that.” You scratched your other ear before resting your hands on your hips, causing them to tilt slightly. “Getting that close to my face used to work, but not anymore. He applies what mind games he can to make sure he's the one holding all the cards. Plus,” You couldn't help but grin. “Karasuma straight up said on the first day he refused to have me fired, so I gotta take advantage of that when I can. Besides, he's still pissy I broke the so called rules and actually give these kids chances. The look on his face when two of my students last year qualified to enter the Kunu High, hah!”

Irina couldn't help but laugh at your attitude, Karasuma smiling a fraction himself whilst Korosensei rose weakly to his feet having finally untangled himself. The intense look was broken as well, thankfully. You laughed yourself before stopping with a small frown. 

“Still, he's right, it's his playground and I'm just the kid who bagged the swings. He'll pull whatever dirty trick he can to make sure it stays that way, even if the kids suffer for it.” You clapped your hands together loudly, and even Korosensei was taken aback at the determined glint in your eye. 

“But that isn't going to stop me from claiming the slides too. ~”

\--

“Of course you need a backup plan. I never actually planned on teaching over here, but here we are. Now can you stop being so dramatic and get to the fucking point?”

Friday afternoon had been the most eventful part of the day, which given how eventual the week had been overall wasn't exactly saying much. The students had reacted to the midterms news with as much enthusiasm as expected, although you couldn't help but laugh in disbelief alongside them as Korosensei claimed they would all reach the top 50.

“Koro, _please_ tell me that's a joke.” You managed to wheeze out after wiping a tear away, a number of the students still laughing away. “I have great faith in the kids but _all_ of them in the top 50? C'mon man--”

What followed was something even more surprising.   
Korosensei’s attitude had been off ever since you had entered the faculty room, his mood only seeming to lower and lower as the day continued. The indifferent reaction from yourself and the class seemed to be the tipping point, however, as he suddenly snapped for everyone to join him outside, making all thirty plus of you pause. Korosensei possessed a light, caring tone whenever he could, so to have something so negative escape his teeth had everyone on edge. 

You purposely trailed behind the class as they began to filter out of the building and descend the steps, even Irina passing you along the way with a puzzled, troubled expression, all in the hope it would lead to him forgetting your existence altogether as he went along with whatever he was planning. You were mistaken, however, when an offbeat aura from behind you made your skin crawl, and the same snappy tone greeted your ear. “ _Especially_ you.”

So here you all were, watching on with confusion as Korosensei grunted with displeasure at your response. He was stood in the center of the overgrown field, limbs twitching more than usual as he had finished enquiring all of the teachers present if they had ever had a backup plan. It seemed that he was displeased with the students’ sudden reliance on earning the reward money to fuel their livelihoods, which was understandable, but his demands for them all to place in the highest marks barrier of the midterms made absolutely no sense to you. The students were bright, sure, but for all of them to place that highly... It seemed impossible. He was asking for the impossible. Then again, killing him by the end of the year seemed an impossible task as well--

You were, along with a few students, abruptly toppled backwards when Korosensei suddenly spun around with such velocity you could feel the campus behind you creaking wildly on its foundations. Your eyes watered as he became a towering tornado, consuming everything in his wake. Was-- Was this how he destroyed the moon? His pitiful statement on not finding him intimidating rang in your ears, and you felt the weight of how wrong you were. You weren't intimidated by Korosensei. Right here, right now, you were _terrified_. 

You managed to help Kayano to her feet when Korosensei finally calmed down, standing in his original spot like nothing had happened whilst you coughed on the dust circulating your lungs. You were the first to gasp when your eyes adjusted and said dust settled. 

The entire area in front of the campus, dubbed to forever be an overgrown wasteland was completely cleared, the faint fresh paint lines of an old running track forgotten to time glistening in the midafternoon sun. A few nets had been set up in the distance, and you couldn't help but gape. Even the main building would be jealous of this. You could feel the tears brimming in your eyes as you made a pitiful sound akin to a sob, barely registering the sounds of joy and surprise leaving the class as you looked towards Korosensei, mouth opening ready to voice your thanks when it snapped shut upon seeing his sullen expression was still in place. If you had turned your gaze to him a second earlier, you may have caught a familiar pink hue cast in your direction, albeit a small one. Your mouth did open, along with the students as he spoke, however. 

“The power you saw here is a reminder of what I can do, so prepare for the top 50 accordingly or the chance to strike will be gone, as I shall leave forever. ~”

“Wait, Karasuma, is he allowed to do that?!” Sugino shouted out amongst the chorus of panicked voices now ringing out. 

“It doesn't go against his contract.” Karasuma replied, disbelief evident in his voice. “He is more than free to leave.”

“Wait!” Even you were caught off guard by your voice sounding out, the students mumbling between themselves as you jogged up to Korosensei, trying your hardest to ignore the burning in your lungs. “You can't just up and leave if they don't cut the grades!” You poked his tie a little too harshly before he could respond. “What kind of teacher would that make you, if you just upped and left them because they hit a hurdle, huh?” You finally made eye contact with him, trying to ignore the sound of your blood pumping in your ears. “That'd make you worse than a monster and you know it.”

“Thank you for the obvious lesson, [Name].” Instead of making your heart sing, the way his current tone said your name made your heart feel as if it was doused in ice. “But I have made my point clear. Now, I shall see you on Monday, where I expect you to assist with their midterm preparations instead of fueling their one path only fires.”

“Wait!” Your voice was quieter now so that only the two of you could hear it, your body shaking with panic as you could feel the tears that had morphed from joy into sadness begin to trickle out of your eyes. “W-What about our--”

Korosensei cut you off by leaning forward and pressing his teeth to the top of your nose with more gentleness than you expected in his current state, pulling back quickly after a few seconds. His eyes did not directly meet yours whilst his voice sounded distant. 

“... I said I shall see you on Monday.”

With that, he was gone, the trail of wind he left behind, your now free flowing tears and the footsteps of numerous concerned figures approaching becoming your only company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (please ignore any notes that may appear below these ones) 
> 
> Ain't I a stinker? This chapter was a bit dialogue heavy my bad. I just want to get though as much early stuff as I can before fleshing out le romance. La romance? The sexy times. 
> 
> (Anyone else here have like no social/human contact? Haha me neither...) 
> 
> Any comments/feedback is very appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	11. Unexpected Deal Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's certainly been awhile, sorry about that! Mental health and a sudden lack of drive for this fic really got me, but slowly but surely I'm getting back into it. Sorry about the wait.
> 
> Also, thank you for all the comments and bookmarks! I never imagined this would hit 50 hits, much less 500+, so from the bottom of my heart I thank you <3
> 
> This chapter is a bit of a filler/me getting back into it, so sorry if it's a little lackluster. 
> 
> Bolded speech = speaking in English
> 
> Thank you again for all of the support, and hope you enjoy! Any mistakes are my own.

“Seriously, you should have just punched him in the teeth. I would have.”

It was approaching midday on Saturday, the sun hanging high in the sky now as it shone brightly across your smaller than average sized living room. Given the events of ‘that day’ had shaken you up worse than you originally anticipated, your first plan of action had been to immediately throw yourself into the arms of your confused friend, pouring your heart out between disgustingly loud sobs that hiccuped out of you. You distinctly remembered a chorus of 'I fucked up I fucked up he hates me I'm never being loved again I fucked u--'. Even Mr O, who you spotted situated in his usual seat, although looking worse for wear himself seemed highly concerned by your current state, or at least you thought he did through your tear stained vision. 

Azusa, the angel that she was, had allowed you to stay for the night, and after a still shaky start to the morning you had both agreed that a ‘girls day’ was long overdue. Usually you didn't bother with such things, preferring to stay in curled up with a book or sucked into the latest game for your portable devices, but it was nice to spend a little time here and there pampering yourself with good company, which you definitely needed right now. Hotaru was away at a study class for most of the day anyway, so Azusa could use the company herself, and she needed a day off more than you did. 

So here you were, rolling your eyes with a snort at the blonde’s outburst, hand holding her glass of red rocking a little too harshly. Said blonde was currently sat on the floor in front of you, resting her back against the sofa while her foot was delicately perched upon your crossed over legs, half of her nails shining a vibrant pink. Another snort sounded from Irina, who was _oh so_ gracefully sprawled across said sofa, feet swaying in the air as she rested upon her stomach. 

You had invited Irina to be polite, and in another attempt to strengthen the bond the two of you had forming, and she had accepted quicker than expected, no doubt due to her lack of any real connections in the country. You still felt a pang of guilt over how she didn't seem to have many relationships beyond professional. Irina and Azusa had, thankfully, managed to hit it off, although you did have to silence Irina with a quick jab in the side when she nearly unravelled the lie you had previously built up. 

It had been a few hours since then, and it surprisingly took until 3 glasses of wine each and two coats of nail polish for the current topic niggling at your brain to come up. 

“Zusi, I love ya, but I ain't going to punch a mach 20 being in the teeth. I'd probably break my fist.” It was Azusa’s turn to snort now, a small trail of her wine trickling down the glass.

“He's totally into you though [Name], he'd so let you. It'd show him who's boss! He might even enjoy that kind of thing! Bonus!” 

“Here here!” Irina’s drink practically toppled out of her glass and onto your hardwood floor with a distinctive splash as she swung her arm in a form of agreement. The assassin had also been surprisingly supportive of you since the incident, which made your heart swell with appreciation. Still, you couldn't help but roll your eyes again. 

“Guys c'mon, you know I couldn't do that to him. I've never seen him so, well, like that. It kind of really threw me off.” 

Before anyone had time to reply you clapped your hands together with glee, making sure not to stain your hand with the polish. “There! All done sweetie.~”  
Azusa’s squeal as she shot forward caused your ears to ache, Irina’s as well if her sudden wince was anything to go by, gaining a smile on her face that simply illuminated her sunny features further. You felt your heart swell again as she beamed. 

“Thank you! I love it! Irina come see come see!~” Her excitement was infectious, as you and Irina soon found yourselves beaming alongside her. You pretended to ignore the sadness residing in the back of your mind, however. 

“Ooh~” Irina purred, sluggishly dragging a finger along Azusa’s foot, eliciting a string of giggles. “Very nice.” Her eyes met yours then, and you couldn't help but feel anxious as a lopsided grin began to tug at the corners of her rose dusted lips. “Now that that's over, there's nothing to ‘distract’ you from the topic at hand, hmm?~”

You internally groaned, wishing the floor would open up beneath you and swallow you into its depths, or drop you unceremoniously onto Ms. Itana’s coffee table below. Despite your career meaning you were nearly always front and center, you did not enjoy it on a more personal, one to one level. Being out of the comforting area of the classroom, having nowhere to hide and all attention on you whilst you were expected to delve into your own thoughts and project them to people who would do who knows what with them? No thanks.

“Oh, I think we've talked about that enough today.” You quipped a little too quickly, words stumbling over one another due to more than your drunken slur beginning to take hold. Your mind was scrambling for something, _anything_ to divert the conversation, making you lightheaded. “Besides, I think the real office romance is between Karasuma and yourself.” Azusa cast a glance over her shoulder as Irina became the same shade as her toenails, the smallest of splutters passing her lips. Jackpot. 

“Oh?” Azusa’s words were even more slurred than yours, her eyelids lowering in a mock seductive fashion. “The resident military beefcake hey?”

“Beefcake? I'll say.” You chipped in, relishing at the rare sight of the international assassin squirming in her seat. “He could save me any day.~”

**“It's not like that!”** Irina managed after a few moments, pink blush no longer covering her entire face. “He's handsome, sure, but he's so, up himself. Like,” She wiggled her fingers, the remainder of her drink threatening to join the rest. A heavy sigh marred her lips. “He's so strict, and I don't know anything about him.”

“Yeah, and I still barely know the octopus dork.” You scoffed, flicking a few loose strands of hair over your shoulder. “Doesn't stop me. Plus, you're an assassin. A _seductive_ assassin. If anyone can break his shell, it's you.” Azusa nodded with more enthusiasm than you could muster in a lifetime, grinning widely once more. 

“Yeah! If I can break down my husband, who was a real stick in the mud, might I add, then you'll have no problem winning over some suited government head.”

“Yeah, **yeah**!” Irina shouted, causing your ears to ring once more. She punched her chest, the rest of her drink spilling onto her shirt and the floor as her eyes shone with a fiery determination. “I'm Irina Jelavic! I can do this!” Her gaze softened as it landed on Azusa. “Tell me about your husband Azusa, I'm sure he wasn't _that_ bad.”

“Oh, but he was!” Azusa laughed, and began to chatter away to her fellow blonde, both of them enthralled with the topic at hand whilst you nursed your drink, a warm smile playing at your lips. 

You _definitely_ needed to do this again. 

\--

You definitely did _not_ need to do that again, you thought bitterly as you arose from your slumber, Irina’s guttural snores and your pounding headache being the only thing you could focus on. You vaguely remembered Hotaru showing up a few hours ago, a look of pure shock etched onto her features as she witnessed her usually docile mother splayed across the floor, legs entangled in one of your blankets while her arms dragged themselves up and down on the floor, crying out ‘make me a sexy merqueen!’ whilst Irina was draped across the back of the sofa, laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face, bringing her mascara with them. You were laughing also, albeit more of pained gasps than laughter at that point, and managed to wheeze out a greeting before promptly passing out, crashing head first into the hardwood floor. 

So here you were, goodness knows how much later, trying to ignore the pain you were currently in whilst noting with mild interest said blanket Azusa was ‘wearing’ was now covering you. Your head also felt cushioned, and with a few struggles of raising your hand noted one of your sofa cushions had been placed under it. You had also been turned face upward, and on your side, if your current view of the back of the sofa was anything to go by. Man, you **_really_** needed to repay Hotaru. 

Irina’s snoring, if anything, seemed to intensify as you weakly shuffled into a more comfortable position, groaning with discomfort as you did so. Your lips already felt dry and cracked, and your stomach gurgled as your head continued to pound, feeling as though your very skull was moving around.

**“Note to self,”** You incoherently mumbled, slur still present as you felt the heavy weight of sleep tug at your eyelids. **“Never drink with a bartender and a socialite killer ever again.”**

\--

Korosensei, and admittedly yourself, seemed to forget that you did not need to attend classes on Monday, you only remembering after Sunday passed with a headache fueled blur and you awoke halfway through Monday morning in a blind panic. Irina kept you updated on how things progressed, however, and even Karasuma dropped a message or two, which surprised you. Sure, you two had a rather friendly relationship, but outside of school hours you rarely interacted, him turning down any offers to ‘hang out’ and you being respectful (and somewhat awkward) enough not to push. So to see his name flash up on your screen was touching. 

Apparently you had missed some incident with Irina’s old teacher, something to do with a bet on who could hit Karasuma first? Irina apparently won, but even you knew deep down Karasuma probably let her. Still, it had pushed her to focus even more on the teaching side, which was refreshing. The more real help, the better.~ Especially given how a certain _someone_ was being. 

According to the texts you had received from your top heavy companion, Korosensei was back to his old self for the most part, but his sullen attitude was still present, apparently deepening when he realised you were absent. You pretended not to notice the way your stomach fluttered upon reading that, nor how you felt a familiar blush creep onto to your face as you scoffed, eyeing the message's accompanying winking emoji with distaste. 

\--

Tuesday still managed to roll around quicker than expected, and you cursed your burning lungs as you reached the mountain summit, stubbornly ignoring how even a few of the slower paced students had overtaken you. You really needed to get back in shape. Your eyes glistened as you took in the cleared out environment again, a smile forming on its own accord. You pulled yourself together long enough to shake your head with a chuckle, proceeding to climb the steps and enter the building, completely missing a familiar face watching you out of the staffroom window, their own smile on their face. 

“Good morning.~” You chirped, entering the staffroom with ease. Your mood dipped slightly when you fully turned around after closing the door, noticing there was only Korosensei present. Said figure blinked in response, mouth curling at the corner as he nodded before returning his attention to the paperwork in front of him. 

You shuffled into your usual seat, shrugging your jacket off of your form as you tried your hardest to ignore the knots beginning to twist and turn in your stomach. Where were Karasuma and Irina? Why was he in here, and not with the students for homeroom? A few minutes passed, the silence encasing the room weighing heavy on your shoulders. The knots intensified. _He didn't even say hello, or anything! Is he still that mad oh god what do I do--_

You opened your mouth, desperately scrambling to say something, anything, when he cut you off with a raised tentacle. 

“Karasuma and Irina are taking care of homeroom while I sort through and finish creating revision booklets for all the students.” He did not look up from said work, which did little to calm your nerves. Even when giving you the scolding the week before he was looking at you, and him looking at you even in a situation like that made you feel somewhat at ease. It was, strange. “And yes, I am still annoyed, before you ask, and I can only apologise. But the students grades come first, as they should in the midterms.”

“You _really_ fucking upset me.” The words tumbled from your still open mouth before you could stop them, and you couldn't help but bitterly note that they managed to finally gain his gaze, even if it was a taken aback one. Even you were startled by how upfront you were being. “Like, I get it, but it felt like you shoved one of your anti you knives through my chest.”

You tried to ignore the way his face became a familiar shade of blue as he spoke up again, tone low and croaky. Tried. “[Name]--”

“No,” You jabbed a finger in his direction, trying to ignore the way it quivered as you did so. “It's my turn to talk, so listen.” Thankfully he did, although the blue did seem to be spreading across his entire being now. “I have not, for many a year, felt so put out by what you did. You've thrown me through hoop after hoop, but getting like that was the last straw. Dude, you--” You ran a hand down your face in frustration. “You gotta listen. I want the students to succeed too, and if I knew they could all pass then I'd push them harder and harder, but they won't. Midterms are brutal in final year, and some aren't great with grades as it is, so they'll stumble, but they'll learn and grow in time for the main finals and they'll make it. Yes, they should take this shit more seriously, but it's a little difficult when you've had everyone against you and suddenly a ridiculous opportunity is thrust upon your shoulders.”

A sigh escaped you as you flicked your gaze towards the ceiling. “Okay, I didn't handle it great either, but you're basically asking for a miracle. If anything, you're putting more pressure on them than necessary. So what, if they fuck up you're just gonna throw in the towel?” Your eyes snapped towards him then, blazing with an annoyance that made him make a sound akin to a whimper. “You praise nothing but positivity and helpfulness, yet here you are, breaking spirits. Do they need it? Yes, but not at the level you're churning out. So they don't make your impossible standards, what then? You're really just going to leave? To throw them back to square one, heck, worse than square one? You're just gonna leave them?”

_Leave me?_

The thought dug itself into your brain until it seemed to take hold of everything, making you struggle to hold back a choking noise. You let your words hang in the air, opting to return your vision to the ceiling, willing away the tears threatening to spill. You had let yourself fall too deep already that the very idea of him leaving made your soul ache. You hated it. 

_But, he's going to leave someday when he's--_

“I'm sorry,” Korosensei managed to eventually croak out, and you pretended not to recognise his voice was laced with a thickness only gained from crying. “But I've made my decision. The students deserve the best, which they are already gaining, but it should work both ways. Once they leave this place they'll only have their grades to rely on, and they need good ones to survive, unfortunately. The real world is a harsh place, take it from me, so I cannot sit back and let them tackle this so lightly. Life isn't always going to throw them a lifeline like this, and they need to learn that one way or the other.”

He paused, and you took the opportunity to risk looking back in his direction, eyes widening upon seeing his face had swollen significantly. They widened further upon noticing his eyes were still fixed on you, and as he quickly dabbed at his own eyes with a tissue did you register your heart returning to an all too familiar pitter patter. 

“So that's it then?” Your voice, despite being a whisper, still sounded through the room. “You're really just going to leave us all behind and go who knows where?” He nodded, albeit weakly. “You know that will cause more damage than good.”

“They'll move on.” His gaze was steady, meeting your own, yet you could see the mix of emotions within them. His voice had been level as he spoke, but you both caught onto the undertone, on who he _really_ meant by 'they'.

“What would it take? For you to stay if-- when they don't all pass?” Korosensei went to speak again, but you cut him off with a raised hand. “You basically said yourself real life isn't fair. That these opportunities aren't exactly realistic. Well, expecting the absolute best every single time isn't either. If you always expect 100%, like you are now, then not achieving it will do nothing but hurt you. Take Karma for example. He's always a high scorer, yet one day he's going to get knocked down and knocked down _hard_ , but that's because he doesn't know any better. And, clearly, you don't know any better by expecting top marks from every student.”

You leant back in your chair, stretching your arms as you did so. “So what will it take? More sweets? Pay rise? More time with students? Flash my tits? More brea--”

All of the tension consuming the atmosphere of the staffroom broke the very moment the foolish, not fully thought about suggestion escaped your lips. Korosensei’s audible gasp tore you from your babbling, his body gaining varying shades of pink and red as he spluttered a little, arm sliding off of the table. It wasn't until his glance quickly snapped from your face to your chest for the fourth time did the words register fully, making you gape.

“Y-You would?” You had never seen Korosensei so skittish, rolling his hands over one another as his eyes began to dart around the room. Was-- was that sweat beginning to drip down his forehead? Despite yourself, you began to flush as well. “I-I mean, really?”

“If, you stay no matter what.” His mouth, which was hanging open, which admittedly you had been gazing into longer than necessary to catch sight of a certain appendage to confirm it existed, snapped shut. Inky eyes met yours once more. 

“... I might.”

… _What the fu--_

“Koro,” You huffed. “You're a pervert, you like me,” You tested him with that, admittedly, but the way he began to splutter once more made your heart sing with joy despite the situation. “And you've just basically been offered like, the best of both. An ultimate opportunity. And your response is _**I might?!**_ ”

“Well there's no guarantee.” Was, was he gaining the upperhand in this situation? You caught sight of a familiar green stripe beginning to form, confirming your suspicions. That smug little--

“Fine, you know what, fuck it.” You threw your hands up in the air, admitting defeat over the entire ordeal. You just wanted this over and done with. You wanted the students happy. You wanted Korosensei happy. You wanted to be happy. All three of those things could only be achieved if he stayed. “For every student that passes, you get tit time. And I get another date, that you don't bail on." You jabbed, ignoring the way he pitifully whined. "But only if you stay no matter what. That's all.”

"I'm still sorry about that." He looked as crestfallen as he sounded, his entire being a dark shade of blue, darker than you had ever seen it before. He refused to meet your eyes. "I was, so disappointed and I would have spent the entire date being like that and it would not have been fair to treat you so poorly in that environment when you deserve nothing but the bes--" 

"Well still," You cut him off before he could finish, fearing if he did so you would sink further into the pit of forgiveness despite your better judgement. "My offer stands. Will you accept or not?" 

Silence met your words, and you assumed he would offer another maybe esque response until his hand appeared in your line of vision, making you blink. You glanced at it with a raised eyebrow before meeting his gaze once more, noting a singular green stripe was encircling his forehead, yet his entire face was now dusted pink. 

“Only if you don't tell the students I'll stay.~” You blinked again, hardly believing your ears. A lopsided grin blossomed onto his face, making your heart stutter. You were no doubt still completely flushed, if the heat emitting from you was anything to go by.   
Slowly, you inched your hand forward to meet his, grasping it lightly while you felt his curl around your digits, the texture of it still managing to catch you off guard. The handshake was firm, cementing your fate.

“Fine.”

With that, the deal was set in stone, and you couldn't quite help but wonder just what the _fuck_ you had gotten yourself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (please ignore any notes that may appear below these ones)
> 
> Listen, Koro's a perv. Of course the only bait he'll react to is the tiddy one. Also yeah how about that, heh. I have no idea either. They're both still going to be, weird around each other due to the atmosphere, but we all know they're basically loved up dorks they'll forgive each other fully eventually. 
> 
> Also y'all ladies are basically every sister clique bestie group thing ever. You're also a bunch of lightweights. I just wanted an excuse to write more friend group stuff. 
> 
> I had a couple ideas for this chapter so I smashed them together??? Hopefully it worked out. All I know is it's given me enough strength to start the next chapter.
> 
> Let me know if you don't like it etc. Feedback is always v appreciated <3 Thanks again for reading! Much love.


	12. Midterms Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a result of what happens when my idea riddled mind works through the night. I hope it's intelligible and good enough for you all. 
> 
> Chapter is also a little shorter than usual. Sorry! 
> 
> Words in bold during speech = speaking English.
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Karma I will mark you present for two weeks regardless if you just do this _one_ thing.” 

Said redhead merely smirked at your words, the curling of his lip at the action making your brows furrow further. It was currently first period, and only a few minutes ago had the gravity of your deal hit you square in the-- chest. Korosensei seeming to take the entire ordeal far too enthusiastically did little to calm your already frazzled beyond repair nerves, as you could only watch in horror as he dropped the student's booklets unceremoniously onto their desks before proclaiming every session before the midterms would be devoted to ‘one on one’ revision. Just what had you gotten yourself into? 

So here you were, pleading with your only hope of the deal falling flat, at least that portion of it. Korosensei had agreed to stay regardless of the outcome, after all, and you hoped that would remain true. You had shook on it, after all, and your pained nature if he actually did try to leave would probably be enough to reel him back in if he suddenly decided the notion of sealing agreements with handshakes was beneath him. Still, you hoped you didn't have to reach that point--

“Ah, [Name]-san,” Said hope drawled, sparing you a glance filled with equal amounts of mirth and malice. Despite the majority of his, _negative_ points, Karma was the highest achiever in the class, continously receiving top marks in every test he took. Since it was impossible to pinpoint which of the other students might excel in the midterms, you figured you would eliminate the main threat first, even if he was being notoriously uncooperative. He leant back in his chair, twirling a knife absentmindedly, his booklet still unopened upon his desk. “We both know that's not going to _cut_ it, not when you're obviously doing this for a juicer reason.”

You grumbled, eyebrows threatening to block your field of vision with how heavily they were furrowed at this point. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have the image of far too many octopus clones flashing throughout the room removed. You could practically taste the motion sickness. 

“Karma, look, don't you want to be a rebel? You're always getting top marks, why not branch out a little and be even more rebellious? C'mon, like you said, it's just midterms. They're ‘not as important’.” You airquoted his choice of words for emphasis, pretending to ignore his exaggerated eyeroll. You knew full well Karma would be almost impossible to crack, but it didn't mean you would stop trying anytime soon. 

“Don't listen to her, Karma!” Both Karma and your attention was suddenly focused on a clone that had decided to venture over, flickering with enough intensity to make your eyes water. You couldn't help but scowl at the smug expression it was wearing. “You should continue to excel no matter what! Keep on pushing or else I won't be around to try and take out.”

“But then you can finally stop attending like you want to and focus on tracking him down, venturing to new places and learning a whole variety of skills.” You managed to offer in return after witnessing the clone shift in shape with a squeak as Karma answered by swinging his knife a little too closely to its chest, earning a few groans of protest from fellow students.

“Yes, but imagine all of the places you could go after you graduate with high grades--”

“You two are like parents fighting over their child in a divorce case.” Karma spoke up, stunning you both with his words as he grinned, twirling the knife with a glazed expression. “And right now said child is in their--” His gaze shifted towards you, the predatory glint making you involuntarily squirm. “ _Rebellious_ phase.”

This was going to be even harder than you thought. 

\--

Whilst Korosensei had stated the students were not allowed to know that he would stay regardless, he never said you could not inform your fellow faculty of the situation. Irina was initially shocked, as expected, but surprisingly supportive in helping you achieve your goal. Whether it was due to you possessing a real connection with the students or that it would land you a date, you did not know. Unfortunately for you, Karasuma seemed more intent on taking Korosensei’s side in this. 

“Of course the students should achieve their very best. It sounds as though he is twisting you in his little ‘game’.” He had gruffed, eyes never leaving his laptop while you felt your organs collapse into your shoes. Karasuma was right, how could you have been so blind? If you pushed the students to not succeed, you could jepodise them further. Instead of gaining grades around their level or higher with practice they could sink even lower down the scale, and what favours would that do them? You were so blinded by your own foolish embarrassment to even consider how it would impact on your class, on your pupils. You felt worse than terrible. 

\--

“I want the deal off.” Were the words you chose to greet said giant octopus with as you approached him seated on his typical lounge chair during lunch period. You assumed it was the main him, at least, not that it fully mattered. He had been preparing to say something to do when you cut him off, inky eyes blinking before stripes formed. 

“Oh? But we shook on it.~” He wagged his finger at you, typical grin stretching as the stripes darkened. “You can't go back after a few hours just because you're already losing.~”

“Look I'll literally flash the goods now if you want.” You muttered hotly, grabbing the hem of your shirt and beginning to pull the material upward. “He--” Korosensei’s undignified splutter and aggressive shake of his head made you pause, before putting your shirt to its original position and letting go of it with a huff, opting to rub your arm and choosing to eye the faint grassy patch by your feet in an attempt to hide your embarrassed face instead. His spluttering merely continued. “It's just, I realised if I try to screw the kids out of grades then I'll be the worst fucking teacher ever. I mean, I'm supposed to encourage them to do their best, not push them down or wage their livelihoods away just because I said something without thinking and dug myself into a fucking hole, all over some **fatty milk sacks**.”

You didn't dare look up as you tugged at your sleeve, feeling his stare bore into your very soul. “I just, panicked, y'know? You're kind of, believe it or not, a great teacher, and these kids need you.” I need you. “And it's kind of a big factor towards the planet if you stay put.” And it's totally not because I really like you, idiot. 

Your heartbeat thumped in your ears as you continued to tug at your sleeve, eyes boring holes into the patch of green. Every part of you was screaming to turn around, to move, to make eye contact, to do anything, yet you remained rooted to the spot. It wasn't until a hand brushed delicately under your chin, tugging it upward did you come to your senses. The sudden shadow casting over you made you squint, but it took a few moments to register Korosensei had risen and was now stood in front of you. His hand remained in place, grip soft and comforting whilst the other ventured upward to wipe your cheeks, which you realised were soaked in tears. Once that was finished did the hand rest upon your cheek. His smile was warm when you caught it, face tinted a shade between deep red and blue. 

“[Name],” Your heart pitifully whined at the sound of your name leaving him, your stomach floating at the warmth you felt laced into it. “It is a struggle, and I'm sorry you feel that heavily about this, but I'm afraid I cannot simply take back a promise like that. Me staying ties into it.” He paused, no doubt feeling the pained croak that rumbled in your vocal chords. “But,” His gaze softened, cheeks dusting with familiar pink circles as his tone became so light you knew even you probably weren't meant to hear it. “I'd miss you too.~”

You gulped, the lump having formed in your throat feeling like lead as you simply stared at one another, both your facial temperatures increasing with each moment. Had he gotten closer? There was at least a few inches between you earlier, you were certain, yet now you were almost touching, the top of his mouth hovering right in front of your nose. Your breath caught in your lungs as his vision became unfocused, sliding from your eyes towards your slightly parted lips. You felt your own vision become glazed, lungs burning from their current lack of oxygen as he slowly, slowly came even closer. 

… Oh _**god**_. Of all places, was he really going to--? For real--? 

The bell springing to life to indicate the end of the lunch period shot through the two of you like a bolt of lightning, causing you to return to your senses and part with undignified yelps. You ran your hands through your hair, inhaling much needed air in rapid breaths whilst he wringed his hands, eyes darting around the area as you heard the collective footsteps and chatter of the class beginning to return. 

“W-Well,” Korosensei stuttered out before coughing into his fist, visibly straightening himself to his original height. You were certain your neck clicked as you leant back to see his face clearly. “Duty calls. I believe it's your turn to teach now.”

“Y-Yeah,” You swallowed, mouth drier than all of the deserts combined as you turned around,ready to depart. “Although it's just gonna be another study session, nothing fancy.”

You didn't need to see him to know he nodded in response, and the two of you returned to the Old Campus building without making any form of contact. 

\--

The days leading up to the midterms passed by with a blur, the students studying with such focus and intensity it lit a fire in your soul. Your own sudden wave of enthusiasm towards it all no doubt helped boost their efforts, chalk cracking a few times as you furiously scribbled down notes and pointers onto the blackboard. Korosensei seemed to lessen his efforts, you noted, but maintained the level of intensity you all expected, yet you couldn't help but flush everytime you caught his prideful demeanour as you turned to help a student. 

Did you think they would all pass? Absolutely not. The students were sadly nowhere near the level of the main building students, and you knew all too well the Chairman would pull out all of the stops to prevent any repeats of previous years. One year in particular he completely blocked off sections of the mountain path, making the students almost miss the cutoff time to arrive. He'd do anything to maintain his perfect little system, and having any of your students skim through to a higher grade than they ‘deserved’ was his worst nightmare. You didn't know what exactly he had planned this time around, as assessing the main buildings for clues was extremely difficult given he had hired personal security to monitor the premises, but you could only hope it wasn't anything too absurd. 

The day of the midterms rolled around far too quickly for your liking, and with a sick taste in your mouth did you wave the class off to tackle the monster, apprehensive looks shared amongst you all. That had been two hours ago, and you were still stood out in the field near the opening of the mountain path, chewing a fingernail absentmindedly. Surprisingly Irina and Korosensei were still out there with you, Karasuma having returned to the ‘warmth’ of the staffroom roughly an hour ago. 

“Don't be so nervous, [Name]!” Irina lightly scolded, rocking you back into reality from wherever your mind had taken you with a nudge of her elbow. “They've studied hard, even managing to still practice killing lanky moron over there.” Her smile was warm as your eyes met. “So don't worry yourself too much, okay?”

“I never thought a woman who spends half her days looking at shoes would bring me a reality check, yet here we are.” You offered with a smile of your own, widening as Irina scoffed and crossed her arms in annoyance, Korosensei chuckling in response. “But you're right. I just worry, midterms are always a slippery slope.”

“They'll be fine, [Name]. The fading beauty is correct. Besides, it is all in their hands now, there's nothing more we can do.~”

“Yeah, I guess you're rig--”

“The **_fuck_** do you mean, fading beauty?” Irina hissed, whipping around with an accusing finger pointed at the vertically moving striped octopus, the remainder of your sentence fading away on the tip of your tongue. “I am _**not**_ a fading beauty! Who are you to talk about beauty anyway, have you seen yourself?” His smugness increased. 

“Of course I have.~” The stripes multipled. “That's how I know my beauty will never fade.~”

“That's because you'll be dead in a year.” Irina deadpanned, and to your surprise Korosensei’s expression did not change. If anything, he simply leaned closer to the blonde, glint prominent in those inky irises. 

“Exactly, and I'll die looking as beautiful as I do now, unlike someone--”

You shook your head has Irina’s undignified screech caused a few birds to fly out of the surrounding trees in alarm. Even Karasuma peaked his head out of the window to see the cause of the commotion. You took the opportunity of her babbling angrily at a grinning Korosensei to venture back into the Old Campus, more than ready to collapse into a chair with a brew and forget your troubles for a few more hours. 

\--  
The Chairman threw a new question into the Maths portion of the midterms, and you assumed given the student's crestfallen expressions it wasn't the only subject to receive such a treatment. The students of the main building had been given extra lessons on how to tackle the questions by the Chairman himself, Karasuma had informed you after a tense phone call, his tone laced with irritation. You knew he would pull something out of his ass to screw with you, but high marking questions that the class had no idea about? Oh, he was definitely getting a talking to. 

The sombre atmosphere within the classroom only seemed to worsen as Korosensei returned from another trip to another corner of the globe, the weight of the situation crushing what little spirit they had left. You knew he wasn't going to leave, not really, but the thought that he still might made you anxious. Surprisingly you were not as upset about one part of the deal not coming true.

“Look, what the Chairman did was absolute bullshit.” You ignored the pointed look you received for your colourful language. “But look at what you achieved despite that. How many of you did better than you expected? How many of you moved up a few places?” A few looks were exchanged amongst the students. “Exactly. So you didn't get perfect, so what? As far as I'm concerned, you did more than enough and I'm _real_ fucking proud.”

“Thank you [Last Name]-san.” Hinano replied, her usually upbeat tone drenched in disappointment. “But it's not nearly enough to keep Korosensei here.” Your heart fell into your stomach, but thankfully Korosensei seemed as uncomfortable as you did at the entire ordeal. Maybe now he'd finally understand what you meant. 

Catching Karma’s eye you nodded, indicating it was time to put things into action. After a few sessions of being absent you pulled him aside, explaining the severity of the situation and your plan, which he had scoffed at until you informed him Korosensei leaving meant he had no teacher to kill, because he'd never get away with taking you out. Plus, you still weren't fully convinced Korosensei would actually stay, so you needed all the aces you could get.

Your plan worked without a hitch. Korosensei began a speech before Karma rose and cut him off by thrusting his papers into his face, a collective gasp sounding as the red circled 100s became visible. Karma then proceeded to mock the stunned teacher for not being able to handle the class because he knew they could take him out, that he was scared, which was enough to prompt the entire class to join in. You enjoyed watching Korosensei spluttering in protest and squirming under their jabs a little too much, and you couldn't help but laugh as Karma threw a wink your way.

Looks like Korosensei was staying after all. 

\--

“You told Karma to do that, didn't you?”

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, the students and your fellow staff having left an hour ago to begin the long trek home. You had stayed behind to tidy and lock up, as per usual, and were still as thankful as ever that Korosensei helped you out, even if your hands did seem to ‘accidentally’ brush against each other more than usual. Once that was done you had ventured outside to take in the surroundings for awhile, mood finally at peace as the weight of the midterms and what they entailed finally lifted. 

You shifted your gaze over to Korosensei as he suddenly appeared next to you, lip curling at his words. “I have no idea what you're talking about. Karma takes any opportunity he can to dig into your teaching, you know that.”

“I saw the nod, [Name].” He eyed you suspiciously, a hint of doubt in his words. “And the wink.”

“I nodded because he looked in my direction.” Your tone remained indifferent, yet it was becoming more difficult to keep your smile level. “And he probably winked because he knew you weren't leaving, and he could continue to ship us.”

“Ship us?” Korosensei blinked, confusion evident enough to cause you to finally break down, smiling widely with a small laugh. 

“Yes Koro, ship us. I'm pretty sure you've heard half of the class singing the song. They seem to think we'd be good together.”

“Well, they're not wrong.”

“What?” It was your turn to be confused now, turning to face your companion fully. He kept his attention focused in front of him, but you could see his hands begin wringing together and beats of sweat begin to blossom on his blushing face.  
“W-Well, I mean--”

Despite your better judgement, something deep down knew you couldn't let an opportunity as rare and desired as this slip through your fingers, so you summoned every ounce of confidence you had to spring your words forth. “Was that supposed to be a suggestion or something?” Thankfully they came out level toned, and not a panicked garbled squeak like you imagined. 

He turned then, attention diverted solely onto you. The determination in his eyes made you jittery. “And what if I say it is also an offer?”

“Then I'll tell you to ask me properly.” You crossed your arms, fighting to keep you voice even as panic crept up your limbs like spiders. “Or at least show me something so I don't keep wondering if this constant back and forth is actually mutual.”

He didn't move for awhile, merely staring at you until your nerves kicked in and you had to tear your gaze away, wringing your own hands together periodically. It was just light flirting and politeness, and you just blew it [Name]. Those paranoid voices were right. He really was just bei--

The thoughts, along with everything else, came to a halt as you risked glancing back, mouth opening a fraction ready to stumble over an apology before snapping shut as Korosensei shot forward, pressing his teeth onto them. The sudden movement and overall surprise of the action had you stumble backwards, and you feared you would fall over until you felt a hand creep around onto your back, keeping you steady. You had also grabbed onto his tie for support, which did nothing but press him even closer. Not that you were complaining. 

_This, this was. He was. You were--_

It took a few seconds for the initial shock to wear off until you pressed your lips back in return, earning a low rumble of approval that had shivers cascading down your spine. As far as kisses went, this was something different entirely, and not just because you were effectively pressing against nothing but a solid surface. Call it your emotion fueled mind or the situation, but there was depth to it, a myriad of feelings as if you were both trying to put all of your words into the movement. 

After what felt like an eternity, which was probably only a few seconds in reality did you finally part, pulling away from each other rather reluctantly. You both attempted to even out your breathing as his hand remained on your back, radiating a warmth through the fabric of your shirt. Your grip on his tie remained, and somewhere along the line your free hands had encircled one another, your pulses mixing as they clasped tightly. Korosensei pressed his forehead against yours with a small sound akin to a hum, eyes searching yours with the softest smile you had seen to date gracing his mouth. He was practically glowing pink. 

“So, is that enough to show it is mutual?”

Your laugh was shaky as you finally regained your breath, eyes closing briefly as you shook your head. You were running on the shock of all of this, you were sure of it. Your eyes immediately sought out his when they reopened, shining brightly. The grin you wore rose far beyond your red stained cheeks. 

“Absolutely.~” Your voice rose an octave on the final syllable, and you couldn't help but laugh again, Korosensei soon joining in with his own chuckle before leaning forward to kiss you again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (please ignore any notes that may appear under these ones)
> 
> So... Yeah. That finally happened >:]
> 
> I didn't plan on that happening for a couple more chapters but, here we are. Also I'm terrible at writing romance stuff so idk. I tried. 
> 
> All I know is finally changing the description felt /so/ good.
> 
> What should rea-chan and Koro get up now? I'd love actual date ideas for future chapter(s).
> 
> Also I'm on discord if anyone (actually) wants to chat! Hit me up at SubWoofi#6307. I'm hopeless and soft I swear. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Feedback is v much appreciated! Thanks for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> Rea-chan is early/mid twenties. Words bolded are her speaking English.
> 
> Koro has no gender rn but it's touched upon in the next chapter don't worry. So pronouns will change, sorry!
> 
> I have no real moon/tide knowledge so I did what I could. Let me know what you think! Thanks again.


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